A plane from Kenyan low-cost airline Jambojet was damaged after rolling into flagpoles at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on Monday, but nobody was injured
A plane sustained damage when it smashed into flagpoles at an airport after the pilot allegedly forgot to put the brakes on.
The De Havilland Canada DHC-8-402 was left with its nose sandwiched between two metal poles. Pictures show heavy scuffing and denting to the side of the plane’s nose as a result of the collision.
The incident happened on Monday night at the VIP pavilion at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. The mishap occurred because the plane had been left without wheel chocks and without its brakes engaged, it is understood. The DHC-8 is one of eight operated by Kenyan low-cost airline Jambojet.
No injuries were reported, the airline said, adding in a statement: “Jambojet wishes to confirm an incident involving one of our aircraft during routine overnight maintenance activities. While parked, the aircraft rolled off the ramp and came into contact with a pole, resulting in some damage to its nose.
“We wish to report that no injuries occurred to our staff during this incident. Our team is working diligently with the authorities to investigate the matter and ensure all necessary measures are taken to prevent a recurrence. Safety remains our top priority, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in all our operations. The aircraft has since been removed from operations until it is cleared.
“We anticipate some flight disruptions due to this incident, and affected guests will be communicated to directly. We apologise for the inconvenience caused, and reiterate our commitment to the safety of our staff and customers.”
On the same day, travel chaos erupted at Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts after two incidents, which took place hours apart, saw four planes with broken wings and pilots sent to hospital. The first of the two crashes saw an American Airlines jet that was taxiing to a gate clip the wing of a parked plane belonging to Frontier Airlines.
Terrified passengers on the smaller Frontier Airlines plane, which had been due to take them to Texas, recalled the collision. “That was terrible. It was very scary. All of a sudden, ‘thump.’ It sounded like something fell from below,” Evelyn Pipione, a Frontier passenger, told local news station WCVB.
The American Airlines plane had just arrived from Heathrow Airport while the Frontier Airlines plane was due to set off for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Both planes were evacuated with passengers and crew forced to leave while the aircraft were inspected for damage. The Texas-bound flight was cancelled.
A few hours later at the same airport a JetBlue passenger plane crashed into a Cape Air plane at the same airport. The JetBlue aircraft was being towed behind a vehicle while the Cape Air plane that had just landed at Logan from the island of Nantucket and was waiting for a gate to open.
While the JetBlue plane was empty, there were two pilots and three passengers aboard the Cape Air plane at the time of the collision. There were no injuries reported but both of the pilots were taken to hospital, out of an abundance of caution, the news outlet reported.
