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No one hurt when 2 United flights touch at Boston airport

Two flights scheduled to depart from Boston Logan International Airport on Monday morning made contact with each other near the gate area, federal aviation and airport officials said.

United Airlines Flight 515 was being pushed back from the gate by a tow tug when its right wing struck the tail of United Airlines Flight 267 parked at a neighboring gate around 8:30 a.m., according to preliminary information released by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Both jets were Boeing 737s. No injuries were reported.

Flight 515 was heading to Newark, and Flight 267 was scheduled to fly to Denver, airport officials said.

Both jets were taken out of service, United said in an emailed statement.

“Customers on both aircraft deplaned normally and we’ve made arrangements to get them to their destinations on different aircraft,” United said.

Both flights were rescheduled for later in the day.

The investigation is ongoing.

The incident came one week after a JetBlue flight from Nashville landing at Logan had to take evasive action when a Learjet charter jet crossed an intersecting runway. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

There have been several other safety incidents involving commercial aircraft in the past few months. There was one at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York in January, another in Austin, Texas, in February, and one off the coast of Hawaii in December.

Aviation expert Ed Booth says the FAA is preparing to empanel a safety review team, that will bring together commercial and general aviation leaders in an effort to find solutions to recent airline trouble.

Booth says the most dangerous place while on a plane is when the plane is on the runway, pointing out that human error seems to be the common factor behind almost all the recent incidents.

Booth says another concern is an influx of less experienced air traffic controllers, after more experienced controllers, pilots and staff members retired during or after the COVID-19 pandemic. He anticipates new policies and procedures in the near future, saying an airplane is still one of the safest places to be.

“The FAA is taking the initiative at this moment to make sure that we don’t become complacent because the safety record we enjoy right now is enviable,” Booth said. “There have only been two passengers killed in the past 14 years on commercial airliners here in the United States.”


About the Authors
Tarik Minor headshot

Tarik anchors the 4, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. weekday newscasts and reports with the I-TEAM.

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