United Flight 605’s trip to Nashville was cut short on the ground Friday morning when the aircraft struck a deicing truck while exiting a deicing pad at Denver International Airport. Passengers were asked to deplane and were bused back to the terminal instead of heading out on the roughly 8 a.m. departure they were expecting.
Ashley Forest, a public information officer with Denver International Airport, told Denver7 that the incident, which involved ground equipment, occurred at 8:26 a.m. as the aircraft was leaving a deicing pad.
FAA Opens Preliminary Investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration’s incident log lists the event at about 8:30 a.m., noting that the aircraft struck a deicing truck while exiting the deicing pad in an area where air-traffic control does not manage aircraft. According to the FAA, the agency will investigate, and its initial note states that passengers were deplaned and bused to the terminal.
Winter Operations And Next Steps
Deicing is a routine but closely choreographed part of winter airline operations, and collisions with ground equipment are uncommon. When they do happen, the aircraft is typically kept out of service until inspections are complete. In this case, airport and airline crews will handle ground inspections and passenger accommodations while the FAA carries out its preliminary inquiry. Affected travelers are advised to check with United for the latest on scheduling and rebooking.
