The FAA launches an investigation after two planes collide at Charleston Airport
On Friday night, a Breeze Airways flight was delayed and two persons were assessed for injuries after two planes collided on the ground at Charleston International Airport in South Carolina.
The incident occurred just after 9:30 p.m. when thunderstorms near Norfolk, Virginia, forced Breeze Airways Flight MX509, which was en route from Las Vegas to Norfolk, to be diverted to Charleston. After making a safe landing, the Airbus A220-300 was parked on the tarmac and waited to be refueled before continuing its flight.
Then, at approximately 9:50 p.m., a Boeing 787-10 operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) collided with the tail of the Breeze Airways plane while it was taxiing close by. Their plane’s left wingtip struck “equipment positioned near a Breeze Airways aircraft.” Only the five members of the ANA crew were on board at the time, and they all got off the plane unharmed.
All of the Airbus’s passengers were evacuated following the crash, according to Breeze Airways, and two people were assessed on the spot for minor injuries. After that, those people were driven to the terminal by bus. In order to continue the journey to Norfolk, the airline organized a substitute aircraft, which finally took off at 1:20 a.m. on Saturday and reached its destination at 2:50 a.m.
Breeze Airways and ANA have both stated their willingness to cooperate with authorities and investigators as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) begins an investigation into the cause of the incident.