2 Planes Clip Wings At O’Hare

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CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Two airplanes clipped their wings Monday at O’Hare International Airport while one was being pushed from a gate and the other was taxiing.

American Airlines flight 312 — scheduled to take off for Dallas — was being pushed back from its gate when it’s wing made contact with another plane’s wing, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and Chicago Department of Aviation.

The other plane, a Norwegian Airlines flight bound of London, was taxiing at the time, according to a CDA spokesperson. No one was injured, and both planes returned to their respective gates.

A spokesperson for the FAA only offered preliminary information on the investigation.

A spokesperson for the NTSB said it was not investigating the crash, and that the NTSB only investigates incidents where there are fatalities, serious injuries or substantial damage to the airplane.

In a statement, American Airlines said its flight received clearance to push back from gate K16 at Terminate 3 when it was struck by the other aircraft.

The American flight was subsequently canceled, and all 233 passengers were rebooked on other flights, the airline said. No one was injured. A maintenance team was evaluating the damage to the aircraft.

The Norwegian Airlines flight sustained damage to its wingtip, and rebooked all of the plane’s 296 passengers on other flights, a spokesman for Norwegian Airlines said. The Norwegian flight had its wingtip replaced by mechanics, and was operating the by the following evening, the spokesperson said.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2019. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)