AN investigation has been launched after one plane collided with another on a taxiway at Manchester Airport.
A Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777 was preparing to take off for New York when one of its wings clipped the tail of a Flybe Dash 8.
No-one was injured but fire crews were despatched to the site of the collision.
More than 130 passengers on the PIA flight, PK723, had to be put up in hotels overnight while the aircraft was checked over.
Passengers on the Flybe Dash 8, which was heading for Southampton with 43 people on board, were put on other flights as the aircraft's rudder was damaged.
Both aircraft taxied back to the terminals following the incident, which happened at about 1pm yesterday, so that engineers could inspect them.
The PIA plane, which was travelling to New York from Pakistan, was still on the ground at the airport this morning.
A spokesman for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch confirmed it had launched an investigation.
Incident
A spokesman for Flybe said: "Flight BE866 from Manchester to Southampton was involved in an incident at Manchester Airport.
"The Flybe aircraft was holding on the taxiway, correctly positioned and stationary.
"We understand that the Pakistan International Airways aircraft had been given permission to taxi past the Flybe aircraft provided that there was sufficient wingtip clearance.
"The Flybe aircraft was clipped by the PIA aircraft, causing damaged to the rudder. The Flybe aircraft returned to stand and all passengers disembarked without incident."
He said arrangements were made for alternative flights for all passengers on their onward journey and the vast majority of passengers had only suffered a two-hour delay.
He added: "The safety and well-being of our passengers is of paramount concern and Flybe will work with the authorities in an subsequent investigation."
PIA was criticised last year following a number of undercarriage fires on jets landing at Manchester Airport.
A cat also grounded a PIA flight at Manchester for 26 hours last October after it got loose in the passenger cabin.
A spokesman for PIA was unavailable for comment.
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Showing comments 1 to 11 and replies | View All
Tez, Manchester (16/02/2007 at 13:42)
Dan, South Reddish (16/02/2007 at 14:11)
This is a shambles, someone tell them PILOTS should be flying planes not COWBOY'S
Betty's Hotpot, Manchester (16/02/2007 at 14:14)
SARAH, BLACKLEY (16/02/2007 at 15:06)
john, cheadle (16/02/2007 at 15:30)
Dave, Heywood (16/02/2007 at 16:15)
Mike, london (16/02/2007 at 17:14)
NOT aborting when required is the dangerous thing
Biggles, Manchester (16/02/2007 at 17:27)
It stands for :
Prepare for take off
Ignore the Control Tower
Away we go !!
F.W.M., CHESHIRE (18/02/2007 at 01:22)
WMK, Lahore, Pakistan (18/02/2007 at 12:48)
Marak, Toronto (18/02/2007 at 17:24)
The PIA pilot had to be way off centreline to clip a wingtip. Was he? Was the Flybe Dash 8 well and truly clear of the taxiway? Or did the controller wrongly allow PIA to taxi out while the taxiway was not clear? Remember, last year it was trumpeted that a PIA captain found intoxicated was removed from the flight. All this before toxicology test results came through which declared him quite clear, causing red faces at the accusers' Manchester Airport Authority and the Airport Police. Both withdrew charges with an apology. How happened? This captain had the previous day dressed down an airport functionary for inefficiency who falsely tipped off the police who acted like bulls in a china shop without thinking.
So let's wait for the enquiry.