Denver, United States: A United Airlines aircraft preparing for departure at Denver International Airport struck a de-icing truck during ground operations on March 6, forcing passengers to disembark and prompting a federal investigation.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, United Airlines Flight 605, a Boeing 737-800 scheduled to fly from Denver to Nashville International Airport, made contact with the ground vehicle at around 8:30 a.m. local time while exiting a de-icing pad. The incident occurred in an area of the airfield not managed by air traffic control.
In a statement, a spokesperson for United Airlines explained: “A de-icing truck made contact with a United aircraft in Denver on Friday morning, leading to an employee of the de-icing contractor being transported to the hospital.”
The statement added, “Customers deplaned via air stairs and were bused to the terminal, and we arranged for a different aircraft to take customers to their destination.”
The aircraft was carrying 122 passengers and six crew members at the time. No injuries were reported among those on board, but the driver of the de-icing truck, an employee of a contracted ground-service provider, was transported to a hospital after the collision. Authorities have not disclosed the extent of the worker’s injuries.
Following the incident, passengers exited the aircraft using mobile stairs and were transported by bus back to the terminal. United Airlines said it would arrange an alternative aircraft to continue the flight to Nashville while the damaged jet undergoes inspection.
The collision occurred as heavy snowfall moved across the Denver area, forcing airlines to conduct extensive de-icing operations across the airport. Weather disruptions contributed to widespread delays throughout the day, with hundreds of flights affected at the busy hub.
The FAA has opened an investigation to determine how the aircraft came into contact with the ground vehicle during the de-icing procedure.
