Video shows JetBlue plane tip backwards as passengers get off at JFK Airport

Monday, October 23, 2023
QUEENS (WABC) -- Passengers at JFK Airport had a scary experience Sunday night as the nose of a plane lifted upward toward the sky.

Flight 662 had just landed from Bridgetown, Barbados, at Terminal 5 around 8:30 p.m.

Citizen App video shows the front of the plane lifted up, while the tail stayed on the ground.
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JetBlue says the plane tipped backwards because of a shift in weight and balance as people were getting off their flight.
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No injuries were reported. Officials say the plane was taken out of service to be inspected.

"Safety is JetBlue's first priority; we are reviewing this incident, and the aircraft has been taken out of service for inspection," Jetblue said in a statement.

Ed Libassi, the CEO of A&P Aircraft Maintenance, Inc. explained what he thinks might have caused the plane to tilt.



"Now the situation that JetBlue had yesterday, I've seen it in my 51-year career -- too much baggage was left in the air cargo compartment," Libassi said. "Maybe all of the people had gotten off already, or maybe everything up front was taken off quickly -- everything from baggage to fuel in the wings while they flew from Barbados."

Libassi said normally when flights come in, passengers will hear the cargo doors opening first before the jetway pulls up to the plane.

"But maybe they had trouble with the baggage door and they couldn't get it open fast enough," he said.

Libassi said despite the scare, "they did a good job on the situation" and they were lucky that they were able to get the weight off the tail and the airplane brought itself back down.

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