CAL aircraft damaged while taxiing

A Caribbean Airlines aircraft hit a wall at Piarco Airport last night while the aircraft was being sent to the maintenance area, Newsday Tobago was told by an eyewitness.

The aircraft was empty and no one on the ground was injured, but the plane’s nose was badly damaged.

A witness who wished to remain anonymous said the incident occurred around 10.30pm.

”It was maintenance that ran the aircraft into the building wall near the baggage makeup area, hitting an Airport Authority sign. It looked like maintenance was taking the aircraft into the hanger. What we saw is the aircraft lost power, the propeller cut off immediately and the aircraft started to drift on the runway and it seemed like they weren't getting brakes.”

CAL said in a release at about 11.15 last night a plane was being taxied from the ramp to a hangar when it crashed into a wall of the terminal building.

The plane was not in service, meaning there were no passengers aboard, and no employee of CAL was injured.

CAL said the extent of damage to the plane is being assessed and the plane is out of service.  Investigations are in progress and the airline said to assure all stakeholders that the airbridge will operate as usual.

More details to come.