A 2008 Gulfstream GV-SP (G550), N557H, and a 1992 Beechcraft King Air C90A, N928TT, collided with each other while the Gulfstream executive jet was being towed by Atlantic Aviation on the general aviation ramp of Nashville International Airport (BNA) in Tenn.
The bizarre accident happened on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at about 3 p.m. local time, as reported on that date by the Aviation Safety Network, Kathryn's Report, New York Daily News, WKRN-TV and other news agencies.
The G550 business jet was registered to the H.J. Heinz Company, a multi-national food company with world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Penn., and was owned by Bank of America.
The company issued a statement, saying, "Heinz is launching a thorough investigation into the incident and we are cooperating fully with the FAA and officials. Safety is paramount at Heinz and we are taking this matter seriously."
Both the FAA and Nashville airport operations officials are investigating the accident.
Other than damage to both planes, and dramatic images of the collision, there were no injuries reported to persons on the ground or other property.
The twin-engine Beechcraft is registered to West Air Holdings, a real estate investment firm based in Memphis, Tenn. It was scheduled to takeoff from Nashville at 3:40 p.m. CDT and return to Memphis.
A Federal Aviation Administration reported that the Gulfstream was being towed on the Atlantic Aviation ramp when it apparently broke loose from the tug and collided into the parked Beechcraft. The nose of the Gulfstream wedged beneath the Beech twin-turboprop, lifting the rear of the smaller plane off the ground.
We had previously reported on a collision of two wide body commercial aircraft on a taxiway at Shanghai Pudong Airport on Thursday, August 9, 2012 in which both planes were damaged.
Last Friday, August 10, a Lufthansa Airbus A330 and a United Express Bombardier Q40 clipped wings while taxing on a runway at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), also damaging both planes.
Runway incursions are a growing aviation safety hazard, but usually do not involve aircraft which are under tow.
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