Yesterday, there was a costly mistake at the airport involving an American Boeing 787 and a cargo container. The incident took place as two aircraft were taxiing to Terminal 5 after completing international flights. The American Boeing 787 had just arrived from London Heathrow, while the Air France Airbus A350 arrived from Paris Charles de Gaulle.
While on the taxiway, the American 787 ingested a cargo container into its engine, causing damage to the aircraft. It is unclear how this happened exactly, but it seems that a service vehicle passed between the two jets, and the jet blast from the Air France A350 caused the container to be sucked into the engine.
The airport is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the incident. It is crucial for airport vehicles to operate cautiously around aircraft to prevent such accidents. The video footage of the incident provides insights into what went wrong and how it could have been avoided.
Thankfully, no one was injured, and the cargo container was empty at the time. The American Boeing 787 has been taken out of service for inspection, and it remains to be seen how extensive the damage is and how long the aircraft will be grounded. Given American’s shortage of wide-body aircraft, this incident comes at a challenging time for the airline.
In conclusion, the incident at O’Hare serves as a reminder of the importance of safety protocols around aircraft. It is essential for all airport workers to be aware of the risks associated with jet blast and to operate vehicles with caution. Let’s hope that lessons are learned from this incident to prevent similar accidents in the future.
