An Airbus A320neo in service under a year lost part of its tail after it wasn't parked properly and collided with a jet bridge

• Pictures on social media show an Austrian Airlines jet lost its right horizontal stabilizer.
• The Airbus A320neo is less than a year old and could be written off.

An Austrian Airlines plane sustained some severe damage after crashing into a jet bridge.

Pictures circulating on social media show the Airbus A320neo's right horizontal stabilizer — a major part of the tail assembly — was completely torn off. There was also some damage to an aileron as the wing struck a pole.

Planes have collided with jet bridges before, but the damage in this incident is more substantial and will take longer to repair, presuming it's not a write-off. The jet involved was also very new, only entering service last June.

In a statement shared with Business Insider, an Austrian Airlines spokesperson said: "We confirm that the aircraft was damaged while not in operation," meaning there was no crew or passengers on board.

"An investigation into the cause and extent of the damage has been initiated," the spokesperson added.

The local aviation news site Austrian Wings reported that the damage occurred because of a mistake by the ground crew.

After the plane arrived at Vienna Airport on Saturday night, it was towed to a parking position. But a member of the ground crew forgot to place the wheel chocks and may not have activated the parking brake, the report said.

The A320neo then rolled backward toward the terminal, it added.

Vienna Airport did not respond to a request for comment from BI.