JetBlue plane strikes parked aircraft at JFK Airport; federal officials investigating
CBSN
A JetBlue plane scheduled to depart from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Wednesday morning bumped into an unoccupied aircraft en route to the runway, officials have confirmed.
The unoccupied plane, also owned by JetBlue, was parked at the time of the collision, which the airline company and Federal Aviation Administration say happened during pushback — when an aircraft is pushed back from its parked position, usually at the gate, before heading toward the tarmac to take off. The operating plane "struck the tail" of the parked one, then returned to the gate and transferred its passengers to a different aircraft, according to JetBlue and the FAA. No injuries were reported in connection with the accident.
"On Wednesday morning, JetBlue flight 1603 with scheduled service from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU), came into light contact with a parked unoccupied aircraft during pushback," JetBlue said in a statement. The company went on to note that safety is its "first priority" and "both aircraft involved will be taken out of service for inspection" while the incident is investigated.
