Virgin Atlantic and British Airways aircraft collide at Heathrow
James ChappleAn investigation is under way after a Virgin Atlantic aircraft clipped a British Airways aircraft at Heathrow at the weekend.
The incident happened while the empty Virgin Boeing 787-9 was being towed from the stand at Heathrow Terminal 3 on Saturday (6 April) shortly after landing.
En route, one of its wingtips caught the tail of a British Airways Airbus A350 aircraft which had 121 passengers onboard, who were preparing to depart for Accra.
No one was hurt, and BA sourced a replacement aircraft for the Accra flight. Both aircraft involved in the collision sustained minor damage and have been taken out of service.
Virgin Atlantic confirmed the aircraft was being towed by a ground-handling firm contracted by the airline, adding an investigation was under way.
The Metropolitan Police said it was supporting airport authorities and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. As of 9am on Monday (8 April), the AAIB was yet to confirm its involvement.
A spokesperson for Heathrow confirmed to the BBC no injuries had been reported and there had been no impact to airport operations.
Just witnessed a plane crash at Heathrow! A tug pushing back a Virgin 787, crashed the wing into a BA A350 #Heathrow #BritishAirways #VirginAtlantic pic.twitter.com/9VmiP6uwQr
— Alex Whittles (@PurpleFrogAlex) April 6, 2024
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