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'Our wing has been clipped': Pilot's shocking message as 2 United Airlines planes collide at Newark airport

Port Authority police and fire department crews immediately reached the scene and carried off the broken piece of wing

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: A major disaster could have unfolded after two United Airlines planes clipped wings on the tarmac at Newark Liberty International on Friday morning, February 3. The Boeing 757 headed for Orlando, Florida, was hit by a Boeing 757 Dreamliner and later confirmed by the pilot who announced to passengers, “Obviously, our wing has been clipped.” Currently, the Federal Aviation Authority is investigating the entire incident.

The recent incident has raised alarm among the authorities after a near-fatal incident was reported in Austin on Saturday, February 4. A Fed-Ex cargo flight came within less than 100 ft of colliding with a Southwest Airlines passenger jet, claims several media outlet. In Friday’s incident at Newark, Flight 2135 to Orlando was parked at its gate and a larger plane, which just arrived from Johannesburg in South Africa struck the wing. The former plane had just returned to the gate due to a maintenance issue, shared passenger Rebecca Blum. “[I] felt a 'jolt [then] looked outside and saw as clear as day the wing of a larger plane had clipped our wing. Definitely heard it. Felt it mildly I would say, but more the noise. I think we were thinking, what was that?”

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What happened at the airport?

Passengers were easily able to leave the damaged plane and take on another plane arranged around 11.40 am. The official statement by FAA read, “The United Flight 2135 was struck by a Boeing 787, a Dreamliner, that arrived from Johannesburg, South Africa earlier in the morning. The much larger plane was being relocated by a tug when it made contact with the smaller Boeing 757, parked at the gate.” Photographs that captured the damaged plane showed the tip of the wing on one aircraft torn off by the collision, according to Daily Mail. Port Authority police and fire department crews immediately reached the scene and carried off the broken piece of wing.

Southwest airplane was 'moving slowly'

While investigations are ongoing on both incidents, it is found that on the FedEx cargo and Southwest flight, a near-miss collision got approvals for landing and taking off at the same time. This left little room for two aircraft, wherein the cargo pilot asked the tower, "Tower, confirm FedEx 1432 heavy cleared to land on 18 Left," ostensibly aware that the second aircraft was still on the runway. "That is affirmative. Runway 18 Left, you are cleared to land. Traffic departing prior to your arrival is a 737," the controller responded. After a while, he appears to notice that the Southwest airplane was moving slowly. "Southwest 708, confirm on a roll," he states. "Rolling now," the pilot replies, reports MEAWW.