In an early morning mishap today at Boston Logan International Airport, two JetBlue planes collided in the de-icing area, resulting in the cancellation of both flights. According to a Massport official, the aircrafts were being prepared for departure when they made unexpected contact, as reported by WHDH.
Passengers aboard the respective flights to Orlando and Las Vegas were startled by a sudden jolt when a winglet from one plane clipped the tail section of the other. At the heart of the morning routine for these travelers no injuries were reported, with a JetBlue statement confirming that both planes were promptly taken out of service for necessary repairs. "Safety is JetBlue’s priority, and we will work to determine how and why this incident occurred," the airline affirmed in a statement obtained by WHDH.
Ryan Bates, a passenger heading to Las Vegas, recounted the collision's immediate aftermath, "Just a little after 6:30, there was a loud jolt," as reported by NBC Boston. Struggling to understand what had occurred, Bates and other passengers waited for clarification before being informed of the incident through the aircraft's loudspeaker system.
Intending to head to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, Bates took the incident in stride, telling NBC Boston, "Hopefully, we'll still get there [and it'll] still be a great weekend and it'll be a lot of fun". Echoing the sentiment of resiliency, JetBlue organized alternative arrangements for affected passengers by providing another aircraft, though delays ensued as they awaited a new pilot.
This recent event marks the third plane collision at Logan Airport within a year. The previous incidents, one involving a pair of United Airlines planes in March and a low-speed collide between a United and Delta Airlines plane in June, also resulted in no injuries. With these recurring proximity encounters, the airline industry's spotlight is surely fixed on the safety protocols and practices necessary to preclude such occurrences.
