Two days ago, an incident between Korean Air and IcelandAir occurred at London’s busiest Heathrow Airport. While the cause is still under investigation, thankfully, no one was injured.
Ground Collision Between Korean Air and Icelandair
The incident happened when Korean Air flight KE908 was taxiing to runway 27R from Terminal 4. The airline was scheduled to depart at 19:35 and slowly headed to the runway when Icelandair flight FI454 from Reykjavic arrived and was taxiing to the gate at Terminal 2.
Then somehow the clearance between Korean Air and Icelandair was miscalculated leading Korean Air’s wingtip to scrap Icelandair’s rudder area. The aircraft Korean Air was using was a 13 years old Boeing B777-300ER (HL7782) while Icelandair was using a 22-year-old Boeing B757-200 (TF-FIK).
Here are some tweets posted from passengers on board Korean Air, Icelandair and nearby flights.
Cause Unclear
The cause is still unclear on how the clearance between two aircraft was at such a distance. In a statement Korean Air’s spokesperson said:
“While taxiing for departure at London’s Heathrow airport, Korean Air flight 908’s left winglet came into contact with the tail rudder of an Icelandair B757 aircraft that was taxiing after landing. We are doing everything possible to minimize inconvenience to our passengers affected by the incident and are cooperating closely with authorities to investigate the incident’s causes.”
After the collision, Heathrow’s police and emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene causing confusion among bypassers. Luckily, no one was injured in the accident but both flights were eventually canceled.
A spokeswoman from Heathrow Airport confirmed the incident and that appropriate measures were being taken.
“No injuries have been reported but emergency services are attending to ensure all passengers and crew are safe and well.”
Summary
Korean Air and Icelandair had a collision at London Heathrow Airport where Korean Air B777 scrapped Icelandair B757’s rudder. As a result, both flights were canceled and both aircraft are still ground for a further safety inspection.
The damage caused to Korean Air’s wing seems not to be severe but for Icelandair, the aircraft’s rudder definitely must be replaced with a new one.
