PICTURE: Etihad A340-600 jumps chocks, hits wall; 5 injured

Flightglobal.com ^ | 16 Nov 2007 | Stephen Trimble

[Yo-Yo]

Airbus confirms an A340-600 was damaged and five people were injured in a ground test accident at the company’s Saint-Martin site in Toulouse.

The aircraft sustained damage when it somehow broke free of its parking chocks during engine run-ups around 5 pm, local time. News photos taken at the scene show the aircraft's nose rammed through a blast deflection wall.

“At this time, recovery operations are still in progress and Airbus staff is working closely with the emergency services and local authorities at the site,” an Airbus statement says.

Nine people were aboard the aircraft at the time of the accident. The condition of the five injured person was not immediately available.

“Airbus expresses its sympathy to the families and friends of the [injured] persons concerned,” the company adds.

The aircraft, with tail number MSN 856, was due to be delivered to Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, "in the coming days," Airbus says.

[DuncanWaring]

Also here.

[BlueNgold]

Ummm .. the status of the 5 injured parties was unknown...

[PAR35]

I looks like the underside of the airframe forward of the leading edge of the wing took a hit as well as the nose.

Not to mention the tail dragging the ground hard enough to lift half the main gear clear of the ground.

[Army Air Corps]

Yep. Still, take a close look at the underside where the airframe meets the deflector.

[KarlInOhio]

First rule of gun airplane safety.

1. ALWAYS keep the gun airplane pointed in a safe direction. This is the primary rule of gun airplane safety. A safe direction means that the gun airplane is pointed so that even if it were to go off it would not cause injury or damage. The key to this rule is to control where the muzzle nose or front end of the barrel fuselage is pointed at all times. Common sense dictates the safest direction, depending on different circumstances.

[Army Air Corps]

Indeed. There is some nasty damage to that aircraft.

[exit82]

Next quote overheard at Airbus HQ: “Me buy the insurance? I thought you bought the insurance!”

[Red Badger]

From the looks of it, the pilot and anyone else in the front may have some serious ones......

[Cobra64]

A little duct tape, a rattle can and some time with the buffer and I bet the Arabs are none the wiser.

[Red Badger]

Now they can try out their “new” stretched version................

[Red Badger]

It appears to have hit, and run over the top of, a jet blast deflector.

Shouldn't it have been pointed the other direction?...........

[bajabaja]

On the bright side, we do have visual confirmation that the engines will push the craft forward.

[Cobra64]

But did they switch to GEICO?

Nope.

[Red Badger]

I'm OKAY!!!.............

[robomatik]

rofl!

i use that line sometimes. occasionally i get a strange look from someone who obviously has never seen the movie airplane.

[freekitty]

Maybe it’s the pic. I thought the AirBus was bigger.

[Onelifetogive]

when it somehow broke free of its parking chocks during engine run-upsI think I ca see the problem here...

[Onelifetogive]

That'll buff out...