United Airlines (UA) passengers on UA2135, getting ready for pushback at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), experienced a small jolt on the aircraft when a Boeing 787-9 clipped its wing at the gate at Terminal C.
The 2.6-year-old Dreamliner, registration N29981 with no passengers onboard, was being brought to the gate for maintenance when it struck the 24-year-old Boeing 757, registration N17133 at around 08:45 on February 3. Passengers on the United 757 were unharmed and quickly deplaned while investigations continued.
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787-9 recently arrived from South Africa
The Dreamliner had recently arrived as UA187 from Johannesburg O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) at 06:59 before was poised to operate to Denver International Airport (DEN).
Rebecca Blum, a passenger on UA2157, which was destined for Orlando International Airport (MCO), commented to ABC News 7 and detailed the accident:
(I felt a) "jolt ... looked outside and saw as clear as day the wing of a larger plane had clipped our wing. Definitely heard it. Felt it mildly I would say, but more the noise. I think we were thinking, what was that?"
Federal Aviation Administration response:
"The United Flight 2135 was struck by a Boeing 787, a Dreamliner, that arrived from Johannesburg, South Africa, earlier in the morning. The much larger plane was being relocated by a tug when it made contact with the smaller Boeing 757, parked at the gate."
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Several recent incidents
The latest incident occurred two weeks after Delta, America, and JetBlue aircraft experienced dilemmas at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Incident one happened on January 14, when Delta pilots rushed to stop as an American Airlines aircraft crossed in front of them. Hundreds of lives could've been lost at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport after the Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 narrowly missed the American Airlines Boeing 777 during take-off. Fortunately, no accident occurred, stopping 1,000 feet spare.
The second incident was on January 18 and included a JetBlue aircraft that collided with another unoccupied aircraft in its fleet as it was pushing back from the gate. One of the aircraft was N954JB and nicknamed 'Blue Betta Work,' a seven-year-old Airbus A321-200 delivered to JetBlue in August 2015. After being filled with the day's capacity and cleared by air traffic control, N954JB was being pushed back from its gate when it came into light contact with a parked Airbus A320. Ironically, the parked Airbus A320 was another one of JetBlue's aircraft.
Sources: ABC7NY, Aviation Source News, NBC New York
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United Airlines
- Region:
- North America
- Loyalty Program:
- MileagePlus
-
Newark Liberty International Airport
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- EWR/KEWR
- Country:
- United States
- CEO:
- James Gill
- Passenger Count :
- 15,892,892 (2020)
- Runways :
- 4L/22R - 3,353m (11,000 ft) | 4R/22L - 3,048m (10,000 ft) | 11/29 - 2,050m (6,726 ft)
- Terminals:
- Terminal A | Terminal B | Terminal C
-
Orlando International Airport
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- MCO/KMCO
- Country:
- United States
- CEO:
- Phil Brown
- Passenger Count :
- 40,351,068 (2021)
- Runways :
- 17L/35R - 2,743m (9,000ft) | 17R/35L - 3,048m (10,000ft) | 18L/36R - 3,659m (12,000ft) | 18R/36L - 3,659m (12,000ft)
- Terminals:
- Terminal A | Terminal B
