A plane hit a radar pole at a Turkish airport on Thursday, frightening its 267 passengers as the aircraft taxied to its gate.
The Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 had departed Istanbul and landed at Antalya Airport when its right wing smashed into the pole, the New York Post reported Friday.
Video footage showed the plane surrounded by emergency vehicles as the passengers exited, and the jet appeared to have a huge hole in its side:
Damages to the plane included a pierced fuselage and a dislodged overhead storage compartment.
Another clip taken from inside the plane showed oxygen masks dangling overhead as a few passengers were still in their seats. The footage also recorded the downed radar mast that lay partially crumpled on the ground near the plane:
The airline said everyone was evacuated from the jet and one person suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident. The Post article noted “The 17-year-old plane was towed to a parking area after its initial inspection.”
Meanwhile, Simple Flying reported that “The big Boeing ‘triple seven’ was maneuvering to a parking position after a normal and safe landing when it hit the antenna pole. No details have been released as to why this ground mishap happened, but the airline has announced that it is beginning a technical investigation.”
Simple Flying also detailed possible scenarios regarding the cause of the incident involving the jet that has a wingspan of over 212 feet.:
Photos showed the downed radar mast, the inside of the plane, and the gaping hole left in the aircraft’s side:
The incident happened after Turkish Airlines in September said it was going to add over 200 Boeing aircrafts to its fleet, the Associated Press (AP) reporting the airline “decided to purchase 75 Boeing B787-9 and B787-10 aircraft and has completed negotiations with Boeing to acquire 150 737-8/10MAX models.”
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