Southwest Airlines Plane Hits a Jacksonville Airport Light Pole

(CTN News) – In an incident that took place at Jacksonville International Airport on Wednesday, July 5, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 made contact with an off-pavement light pole during taxiing at Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) in Florida.

As Southwest Flight 5122 originated from Houston Hobby Airport (HOU), it landed safely at Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) before the incident occurred.

As of the time of the incident, there were 172 passengers and six crew members on board the aircraft. There was no injury to any of the occupants onboard the aircraft during the incident.

There was a rerouting of passengers to their respective destinations later on. According to a statement released by Southwest Airlines,

At Southwest Airlines JAX, there was an incident

An Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 (Registration N8671D) sustained major damage to its left wing after hitting a light pole at JAX. The aircraft had just landed on runway 08 from HOU, and was in the process of taxiing to the parking stand.

Ground tower controllers guided the aircraft towards a holding area while waiting for gate clearance. The aircraft were built in 2015 and delivered to the airline in November of that year.

A severe damage was observed on the leading edge of the left wing just ahead of the winglet. A technical team reviewed the extent of the damage before the aircraft was towed to the gate for passengers and crew to deboard.

As a result, the aircraft was deemed unserviceable at the time and had to undergo additional maintenance. Southwest Airlines has stated that, according to a spokesperson,

Southwest Airlines is the world’s largest low-cost carrier, offering scheduled service to over 120 domestic and international destinations. Located in Dallas, Texas, the airline operates an exclusive fleet of Boeing 737 jets, numbering over 800 aircraft in total.

Taxiway collisions

As a result of the complexity of airports and the limited space between aircraft and ground vehicles, taxiway collisions are not uncommon.

According to a company that does first aid training Brampton most taxiway accidents do not cause serious injuries or death to passengers or ground personnel, they are often associated with damage to aircraft, delays to passengers, and unnecessary financial costs.

Controlled separation between aircraft must be maintained and optimized. The majority of taxiway incidents involve aircraft, vehicle operators, or both deviating from a surface movement controller clearance.

On the same day, another incident occurred at JAX

The Southwest incident was not the only one witnessed by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority on Wednesday. A Boeing 757 operated by Delta Flight 1328 made an emergency landing at JAX due to cabin pressure issues.

The aircraft was carrying 186 passengers and six crew members from Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Miami (MIA) before it was diverted to Jacksonville. There were no injuries as a result of the emergency, and the aircraft landed safely at JAX.

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