United flight bound for Orlando clipped by wing of other plane at Newark airport
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- The FAA is investigating after two planes apparently clipped wings at Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday morning.
United Airlines said the flight from Newark to Orlando, Florida, was parked at the gate when another much larger United aircraft clipped its wing while being relocated.
The passengers on Flight 2135 to Orlando were able to deplane normally without injury.
One passenger onboard the Orlando-bound flight described the situation after the Boeing 757 had just returned to the gate due to a maintenance issue.
Rebecca Blum said she felt a "jolt ... looked outside and saw as clear as day the wing of a larger plane had clipped our wing. Definitely heard it. Felt it mildly I would say, but more the noise. I think we were thinking, what was that?"
The pilot then came on the overhead speaker and calmly said, "Obviously, our wing has been clipped."
Blum said there was no panic. Passengers then waited a couple hours for another plane to take them at around 11:40 a.m.
Blum has two children, and said she left them a note this morning that she loves them and always comes home. She said she is grateful everyone is OK and she can now continue her journey to see her parents and friends later Friday.
The FAA released the following statement:
"The United Flight 2135 was struck by a Boeing 787, a Dreamliner, that arrived from Johannesburg, South Africa earlier in the morning. The much larger plane was being relocated by a tug when it made contact with the smaller Boeing 757, parked at the gate."
The Port Authority Police Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter Unit (PAPD ARFF) responded to the incident.
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