On Tuesday evening, a minor mishap unfolded at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Two aircraft managed to clip each other's wings while jostling for gate positions. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the wingtip of GoJet Flight 4423 struck the wingtip of SkyWest Flight 5433 around 7 p.m., as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
No injuries were reported, and both planes were able to taxi to their respective gates to properly deplane passengers. This incident occurred as both planes were waiting to dock at Terminal 2. It was the SkyWest flight that seemed to have initiated contact with the other, as detailed by the Chicago Department of Aviation in a statement taken by WLS.
This isn't the first time that SkyWest Airlines has had to deal with ground incidents at O'Hare. Back in October, in what might be called a stroke of bad luck, the same flight number was involved when two planes struck a baggage cart. This time, however, the SkyWest plane's encounter with GoJet Airlines was less dramatic. Both carriers proceeded through the incident without further issues.
The FAA has begun to investigate the cause behind the wingtip-to-wingtip scrape, seeking to untangle the events of that evening. "Both planes proceeded to their gates without further issues and no injuries were reported," noted the Chicago Department of Aviation. Amidst the bustling traffic of one of the world's busiest airports, it seems the aircraft just got a bit too close for comfort. Onlookers can only hope to never closely witness such events unfold again, with safety being everyone's paramount concern.
