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LATAM and Aerolíneas Argentinas planes collide on Santiago airport runway
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Conflict & Security

LATAM and Aerolíneas Argentinas planes collide on Santiago airport runway

From El País · (5h ago) Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Two airplanes, a LATAM Airbus A321 and an Aerolíneas Argentinas Boeing 737, collided on the runway at Santiago de Chile's Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport.
  • The incident occurred during ground maneuvers, causing damage to both aircraft and leading to flight cancellations and passenger rescheduling.
  • Chilean aviation authorities are investigating the collision, which resulted in no reported injuries but disrupted airport operations.

Santiago de Chile's main airport experienced a significant disruption yesterday when two passenger jets, a LATAM Airbus A321 and an Aerolíneas Argentinas Boeing 737, collided on the tarmac. The incident, which occurred during ground maneuvers as the LATAM plane prepared for takeoff to Brazil, saw the wing of the LATAM aircraft strike the Aerolíneas Argentinas plane. Fortunately, Chilean aviation authorities confirmed that no passengers or crew members were injured in the collision.

Los pasajeros fueron desembarcados y serán reagendados

— DGAC ChileThe Chilean Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed that passengers were deplaned and rescheduled following the aircraft collision.

Both airlines reported that passengers were deplaned and rescheduled onto subsequent flights. Aerolíneas Argentinas stated that its Boeing 737 sustained damage to its stabilizer bar and was taken out of service, though they characterized the damage as minor and assured that passenger safety was never compromised. The airline has initiated claims for the damage.

La DGAC realizará la investigación respectiva

— DGAC ChileThe Chilean Directorate General of Civil Aviation stated its intention to conduct the respective investigation into the incident.

The Chilean Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) is conducting an investigation into the incident. While the collision caused temporary operational halts at the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, flights have since resumed. This event underscores the critical importance of stringent ground handling protocols and clear communication between air traffic control and aircraft during all phases of operation.

El impacto produjo daños en la barra estabilizadora del equipo de Aerolíneas Argentinas, quedando el avión fuera de servicio. De acuerdo a los primeros relevamientos, se tratan de daños menores

— Aerolíneas ArgentinasAerolíneas Argentinas described the damage to its aircraft, noting it was taken out of service but characterizing the damage as minor.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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