Two Southwest Airlines planes made contact at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport late Thursday night, forcing both aircraft back to their gates and putting passengers off the planes. The Federal Aviation Administration said the wing of Southwest Airlines Flight 3515 touched the tail of Southwest Airlines Flight 3409 as Flight 3515 pushed back onto the taxiway around 10:45 p.m.
The incident is now under federal review, with the FAA saying Friday morning that it will investigate. That puts the airport at the center of a question travelers always notice and airlines usually try to avoid: how two commercial jets from the same carrier ended up close enough to touch on the ground.
Passengers on the flight described a sharper scene than the FAA’s brief account. One passenger told 10 that people on board had to yell at the cockpit after the plane allegedly collided while taxiing. He said he was moved to a window seat because the aircraft was half-empty and the trip had already been delayed six hours. He said he saw the plane getting a little close to another plane, but did not think they would collide.
Then, he said, the flight simply kept going until a few people spoke up and somebody noticed what had allegedly happened. That account leaves a gap between how the moment felt inside the cabin and how it is being described by authorities, who are focusing on contact between the wing and tail during pushback. Both planes returned to their gates and let out their passengers after the incident.
FlightAware listed the flight as canceled, and the plane is expected to take off on Friday afternoon. For travelers at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport, that means the immediate disruption may be over, but the explanation for the contact is not. The FAA investigation is the step that will have to sort out whether this was a close call that turned into a scrape, or something more serious about how the pushback unfolded.
