Passengers' anxious moments after two planes collide on tarmac at Heathrow Airport
Passengers endured anxious moments after two planes collided while taxiing along the tarmac at Heathrow Airport.
An investigation was launched after an Icelandair aircraft and a Korean Air jet clipped each other at around 8pm on Wednesday.
Emergency services rushed to the scene but there were no injuries reported.
However passengers have told of their initial shock and several anxious moments after they heard the sound of their planes colliding, with video footage and photographs showing scrapes and dents in the planes’ bodywork and the Icelandic aircraft’s tailfin.
Writing on Twitter moments after the impact Randy Del Valle, from Weybridge, Surrey, said: “We are still inside the plane - a collision of 2 aircrafts apparently including ours. We are all safe here inside the plane but hope it will be resolved as I heard lots of delays. Take care everyone.”
Richard Taylor said he saw the left wing of the Korean Air plane clip the tail of the Icelandair while taxiing.
“There was very little movement from our wing as it touched,” he said, adding that what “looked like shards” broke off the tail of the parked Icelandair plane.
Mr Taylor added: "I'm on Korean Air plane that clipped an Icelandair plane at Heathrow - a passenger on the other side saw the incident and told me the wing of our plane damaged the others' tail."
Steve Smith uploaded a video, asking: "Is this normal for Heathrow? Got to be four or five different emergency service vehicles with blue lights flashing on the tarmac."
Another passenger called Richard replied: "I was watching out the window while we taxied and I'm pretty sure we scraped another with our wing tip."
Passengers urged to check for delays with airlines
London fire brigade attended the incident, alongside the London ambulance service.
A LAS spokesman said: “We were called today at 8.06pm to reports of an incident at Heathrow airport.
“We sent a number of resources to the scene including members of our hazardous area response team, a clinical team leader, a cycle responder and an incident response officer.
“We attended a reception centre for passengers but nobody required treatment or needed to be taken to hospital.”
A spokeswoman for Heathrow said: "Emergency services are attending an incident involving two aircraft on the airfield.
"No injuries have been reported but emergency services are attending to ensure all passengers and crew are safe and well."
The incident remains under investigation. There are currently no significant impacts to departures or arrivals but passengers have been urged to check with their airlines.
