Logan International Airport in Boston experienced its second aircraft accident of the day when a JetBlue jet being towed on the tarmac struck a parked Cape Air plane. The accident, which occurred late Tuesday afternoon, was minor for both aircraft involved but had no human casualties. The mishap came as a sequel to an earlier incident when two other aircraft clipped their wings, sending many asking questions about the mishaps in the busy operations of the day at Logan International Airport.
Ground crews had been moving the JetBlue aircraft into a maintenance area when the collision happened. The wingtip of the JetBlue aircraft touched the tail section of a stationary, unoccupied Cape Air aircraft. Neither Cape Air nor JetBlue had passengers on board at the time of the accident.
Preliminary observations from the authorities at airports indicate that there was a faulty calculation in their towing exercises. The towing team seems to have miscalculated the two planes’ spaces, bringing them into each other unknowingly. However, proper investigations are undergoing, with the Federal Aviation Administration immediately informed of the incident.
Both planes had sustained damage but was said to be minor. The wingtip of the JetBlue aircraft was bent while that of the Cape Air had dents and scratches in its tail section. Both planes were taken out of service for inspection and repair.
This collision happened just hours after another incident at Logan Airport involving American Airlines and Frontier Airlines planes clipping wings while taxiing. That earlier event also resulted in no injuries but caused temporary delays and minor damage to the aircraft involved.
The back-to-back incidents have raised an alarm over ground operations within Logan Airport, one of the country’s busiest travel hubs. Experts in the aviation industry have said such incidents are more likely when the airport has a congested tarmac and numerous flights in and out during heavy travel seasons.
The FAA, in coordination with Logan Airport officials, is conducting a formal investigation into both incidents. Preliminary reviews will look at areas such as communication between ground crews, tow vehicle operations, and overall airport procedures to determine if systemic issues need to be addressed.
The collision between the JetBlue and Cape Air planes marks a rather unusual and worrying day for Logan International Airport. While in neither case were people injured, these are reminders of the complexity involved in managing operations at one of the nation’s busiest airports. Now as these incidents are being dug into, the airport authorities as well as the airline authorities will look to tighten all kinds of safety measures to not face a similar situation again. For now, it only reminds them of how strict the industry needs to remain to ensure safety.
