Boston Logan International Airport experienced severe disruptions following two separate collisions involving four airplanes.
According to the New York Post, both incidents happened on the same day, affecting numerous flights and passengers at the airport.
The initial accident occurred when an American Airlines jet arriving from London's Heathrow Airport was taxiing towards the gate. It inadvertently clipped the wing of a Frontier Airlines plane that was set to depart for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
The impact led to the immediate evacuation of passengers and crew from both aircraft. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, although the Frontier flight was subsequently canceled due to the damage incurred.
The second mishap unfolded hours later when a JetBlue plane, under tow across the tarmac, collided with a stationary Cape Air plane, which had recently landed from Nantucket and was awaiting clearance to proceed to a gate.
This collision involved a vacant JetBlue aircraft and a Cape Air plane carrying two pilots and three passengers. While again no injuries occurred, both pilots were hospitalized as a precaution. This incident disrupted the travel plans of numerous passengers, delaying a JetBlue flight to Orlando by three hours.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) along with the airlines involved have launched investigations to ascertain the causes of these collisions and to prevent future occurrences.
Evelyn Pipione, a passenger aboard the Frontier flight, described her experience: "That was terrible. It was very scary. All of a sudden, ‘thump.’ It sounded like something fell from below.”
Douglas Garcia, another bystander, was able to capture footage showing the extent of the damage. “So, you can see the wing broke on the bottom, so the bigger plane — the wing is over, and then ours is cracked at the bottom,” Garcia explained.
Caroline Agid, a witness of the second collision, provided a vivid description of the aftermath. “It [was] just red lights everywhere,” Agid noted. “It looks like the front top of the Cape Air plane got smushed. It was a chaotic mess,” she added.
Both incidents are alarming not only because of their potential danger but also due to the timing during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The absence of serious injuries in both collisions was fortunate, yet the incidents caused considerable inconvenience and alarm among travelers and staff at Boston Logan International Airport. Furthermore, they raised concerns over aircraft safety and management during peak operational times.
In conclusion, the two separate collisions at Boston Logan International Airport on the same day resulted in no injuries but caused significant delays and disruption. The American Airlines and Frontier Airlines planes involved in the first collision had to evacuate passengers and crew, while the second collision involving a JetBlue and a Cape Air plane led to precautionary hospitalization of pilots and significant delays.
Investigations by the FAA and the airlines are ongoing to determine the causes and prevent future incidents.