Logan Airport Flight To Azores Canceled After Ground Equipment Strikes Engine
BOSTON (CBS) -- About 200 passengers were left stranded at Logan Airport overnight after the plane that was supposed to take them to the Azores was damaged by ground equipment while moving to the runway.
Nobody was hurt, but MassPort said the jet wasn't able to continue with the flight.
Azores Airlines said in a statement Wednesday that a piece of ground equipment struck the A310 aircraft's engine while it was in the airport's gate area.
They made decision to delay the flight in accordance to their safety regulations.
"We apologize for any inconvenience to our passengers," Duarte Carreiro, Manager of Azores Airlines Vacations America, said in the statement. "Safety is our number one concern, and we are striving to get back to normal as quickly as possible."
The flight was scheduled to take off for Ponta Delgada in the Azores at 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, but had already been delayed about an hour.
As the jet rolled out onto the taxiway, passengers heard a loud crash.
"We felt like a wobble and then like a smoky smell,"Armando Goms of California told WBZ-TV Wednesday.
"The captain came on and said it was an unfortunate incident," said another passenger.
"There was a minor incident on the airfield involving an Azores aircraft and a piece of ground equipment," MassPort said in a statement. "There were no injuries, but the aircraft was damaged and could not continue with the scheduled flight."
The plane returned to the gate and everyone got off. Passenger Adam Morrow told WBZ the airline was not communicating what had happened very well.
He was able to go back to his home around 1 a.m. However, dozens of other passengers had to stay on cots in the terminal overnight.
"Due to the late hour and lack of hotels for 200 people, Massport provided cots to rest until a suitable replacement aircraft could be arranged," the airline said in its statement Wednesday.
Azores Airlines said another plane was chartered for Wednesday to take passengers to the Azores, Lisbon, Portugal and Barcelona, Spain.
They said the plane will be inspected Wednesday, with repairs taking place if necessary.
