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JetBlue plane strikes parked aircraft while leaving JFK airport
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jan 18, 2023
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jan 18, 2023
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A JetBlue plane struck the tail of another aircraft at JFK Airport on Wednesday, the second close call at the airport in the span of a week.
The Puerto Rico-bound plane “came into light contact with a parked unoccupied aircraft during pushback,” according to JetBlue spokesperson Derek Dombrowski. No injuries were reported and the flight was assigned to another aircraft.
A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that a plane headed for Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in San Juan “struck the tail of a parked JetBlue aircraft.” The agency is investigating the incident.
The collision comes just five days after another frightening runway incident at JFK, when an American Airlines plane came within 1,000 feet of striking a Delta flight headed for the Dominican Republic.
A preliminary review, as well as audio of the botched takeoff on Jan. 13, has suggested the two planes nearly collided after a pilot misunderstood direction from air traffic controllers.
That incident came on the heels of a nationwide computer outage that grounded flights across the country.
Dombrowski, the spokesperson for JetBlue, said the cause of Wednesday morning’s incident was under review.
“Safety is JetBlue’s first priority, and both aircraft involved will be taken out of service for inspection and the incident will be investigated,” he said.
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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