Planes collide at IGI airport, nobody hurt

Even as several security agencies indulge in blame game over an apparent lack of security cover, sheer luck prevented a late-night maintenance accident from snowballing into a major tragedy at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Thursday.

Even as several security agencies indulge in blame game over an apparent lack of security cover, sheer luck prevented a late-night maintenance accident from snowballing into a major tragedy at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Thursday.

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DIAL authorities were thrown into tizzy when a Spicejet aircraft accidentally collided with an Indigo plane while taxiing-out for routine maintenance from the parking bay around 2 am. Luckily, neither aircraft had any passengers or crew aboard.

“A Spicejet aircraft, while taxiing out from Bay 15 collided with the IndiGo aircraft, an Airbus 320, which was parked at the adjacent Bay 1. Luckily, neither plane had any passengers aboard,” said a senior DIAL official requesting anonymity.

According to sources, DIAL officials immediately rushed to the spot and both the aircraft were towed away for inspection.

“Both airlines have sought to underplay the incident. But inspection revealed that the collision, in which the right-side of the IndiGo aircraft fuselage was hit, resulted in structural damage to the flight recorder access door area of that plane,” the official said.

Sources said the other aircraft, SpiceJet’s Boeing 737 which was leaving Terminal 1D for maintenance, also suffered minor structural damage. Both aircraft have now been grounded and the matter has been handed over to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for investigation.

“Fortunately, neither aircraft had passengers on board. However, both suffered massive external damage; we are inquiring into the accident,” said a senior DGCA official.