In a recent incident at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, Japan, a Korean Air plane carrying 289 passengers and crew members made contact with a stationary Cathay Pacific aircraft. The collision occurred on Tuesday, as reported by a Korean Air official.
The incident happened around 5:30 pm local time while the Korean Air plane was preparing for take-off. The Cathay Pacific plane, which was unoccupied at the time, sustained damage to its tail wing as a result of the contact. Fortunately, no injuries were reported from the incident, and neither fire nor fuel leaks were detected, according to Japanese broadcaster NTV and local fire department spokespersons.
The Korean Air official explained that the collision occurred when a towing car, pushing the Korean Air plane backward for departure, slipped on the snowy ground. This slip caused the Korean Air plane’s left wing to clip the right tail wing of the Cathay Pacific aircraft.
Representatives from the airport and Cathay Pacific were not immediately available to comment on the incident when contacted by Reuters.
The collision at New Chitose Airport coincides with a cold snap in northern Japan, which has brought heavy snowfall and temperatures as low as -7C (19F). NTV broadcast images showing snowy conditions at the airport at the time of the collision.
This incident follows another recent aviation accident in Japan, where a coastguard plane collided with a Japan Airlines (JAL) flight at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport earlier this month. That collision resulted in five fatalities and an emergency exit by airline passengers due to a subsequent fire. An ongoing investigation is being conducted to determine the causes of these aviation incidents.
