Two Boeing 737s collided while waiting to take off at Detroit Metro Airport this morning
A pair of Boeing 737 airliners collided while waiting to get de-iced prior to take off Wednesday morning at Detroit Metro Airport.
The incident happened around 6:00 am local time.
The right wingtip of the American Airlines flight 1241 - a 737-800- collided with, and sheared off the tail cone of the Southwest Airlines Flight 9 - a 737-700.
After the incident, passengers from the American Airlines jet told ABC's local affiliate that the crew shut off the jet's engines out of the fear that the collision may have damaged the Boeing's wing-mounted fuel tanks. Passengers were forced to sit for two hours on the aircraft with no ventilation, as a result.
"The wingtip of American Airlines flight 1241 came in contact with another aircraft on the deicing pad in Detroit," American Airlines said in a statement.
"We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience, and have re-accommodated them on other flights," Southwest Airlines added.
"Southwest Airlines flight 9 was in the process of being de-iced this morning at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) when an aircraft belonging to another carrier came into contact with the Southwest aircraft's tail area," the airline said. "The Southwest Team accommodated customers on alternate flights, and we appreciate the patience of our customers."
The American Airlines flight was bound of Dallas/Fort Worth International while the Southwest jet was was headed for Dallas Love Field.
Both airlines report no injuries resulting from the incident.
According to the BBC, the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.