--- title: "Airliners Clip Wings on the Tarmac After Towing Slip in Snow" description: "An airport towing car lost traction in the snow, causing it to push a taxiing plane's wing into another's in Japan on Monday." date: "2024-01-16" modified: "2024-01-16" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/airliners-clip-wings-on-the-tarmac-after-towing-slip-in-snow" categories: - "News" --- # Airliners Clip Wings on the Tarmac After Towing Slip in Snow ![]() *ABC News | YouTube* I can only imagine the fear going through a driver's head as their airport towing car slides in the snow while pushing a commercial [airplane]() that's carrying hundreds of passengers. Unfortunately, an employee at New Chitose Airport in Japan had to experience just that yesterday, when their vehicle slipped while moving a Korean Air flight, causing the aircraft's wing to collide with that of another aircraft. According to *[Reuters]()*, the Korean Air [Airbus]() A330 was loaded with 289 passengers and was in tow, preparing for take off. When the towing car slipped in the snow, it caused the A330's wing to clip a Cathay Pacific [Boeing]() 777's tail wing. Both wings were heavily damaged, though thankfully the 777 was said to be empty, according to [*Sky News*](). This is the second time two planes collided in Japan in just one month. A couple of weeks ago, [two planes collided at Tokyo's Haneda airport](), tragically killing five people. Thankfully no one was hurt this time, and all 289 Korean Air passengers made it off the plane without injury. No fuel leaks or fires were reported, either. Obviously, the two incidents are completely unrelated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhkG79wK66w In a video from *[ABC News]()*, you can see how heavily damaged the Korean Air plane's wing was, so the hit must have been pretty hard. However, you can also see just how bad the *weather* was, making the towing car's slip more understandable. The snow was really coming down, as several inches of powder had already accumulated and visibility was low. I don't envy the drivers on the ground at airports during those kinds of conditions. Several flights were delayed and cancelled on Tuesday at New Chitose before that crash even happened, all due to the weather, so it isn't entirely surprising to see such incidents happen. Kathleen Bangs, a former commercial pilot and aviation expert, told the [*New York Times*]() that smaller accidents like this one while taxiing "are not rare." Speaking as someone who isn't a big fan of flying to begin with, that doesn't make me feel great. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()