Two jets collide: Jet ‘crash’ leaves hundreds stranded, both jets damaged

Two jets collided at Miami International Airport on Thursday leaving hundreds stranded. One of the jets that collided had 350 passengers on board. The other jet involved in the crash had 240 passengers according to a Jan. 18, 2013, Daily News report.

The jet that was carrying 350 passengers on board was an Air France 777-300 plane. The other jet involved in the collision that had 240 passengers on board was an Aerolines Argentinas Airbus.

The Air France 777-300 jet was getting ready at the gate to leave Miami to fly to Paris while the Aerolines Argentinas Airbus jet was coming from Argentina and arriving in Miami.

At about 5:45 p.m., while the Air France 777-300 plane was readied at the gate for its takeoff to Paris, the Aerolines Argentinas Airbus struck the Air France 777-300 plane.

One of the passengers on the Air France 777-300 jet reported that when the Aerolines Argentinas Airbus “crashed” into them, she was just walking to her seat when the collision happened.

She suddenly felt “like an earthquake was happening.”

Another passenger on the Air France jet said that “The plane shook up a bit but the hit wasn't strong enough to make it lose stability.”

Jose Mora, who was also on the Air France jet commented that “The plane hadn't even moved from the gate. … No one panicked. The damage was minimal.”

After the two jets had collided, the flight personal of the Air France jet made an announcement that “another plane had struck the flight.” Rescue units and airport workers immediately rushed to the “crashed jets” on the tarmac of Miami’s International Airport.

The passengers of the arriving Aerolines Argentinas Airbus were allowed to leave their airplane immediately after the jet collision. The passengers of the hit Air France jet, however, had to wait for about 30 minutes before they were asked to get off the plane.

Two hours after the jets had collided, the passengers of the Air France were still waiting in line at Miami’s airport hoping to reschedule their flights, getting their luggage, or waiting for someone to pick them up.

Even though none of the passengers were injured while the two jets collided, the atmosphere at Miami’s International Airport was tense and “some delayed passengers shouted at the airline's employees while others argued among themselves.”

As of Thursday night, investigators are still looking into what might have caused the two jets to collide.

When the two jets collided, both of the airplanes were damaged. “One plane had its wingtip battered and the other its tail section.”

Marc Henderson, a Miami International Airport spokesperson, said that each airplane was damaged during the jet crash and that both airplanes would not be flying tonight.

In regard to an incident where two jets collide and get damaged during a “jet crash”, Marc Henderson emphasized that “This is not a very common occurrence … I can't recall the last time we had planes collide.”

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