Posted on 02/02/2025 2:45:04 PM PST by DFG
The driver of an aircraft tug was critically injured when the vehicle flipped over after colliding with an airplane Saturday at O'Hare Airport.
The crash happened around 6:58 p.m. in the 0-100 block of West Twya Street at O'Hare, Chicago police said.
A United Airlines tug came into contact with the wing of an aircraft as it attempted to cross the taxiway, officials said. American Airlines confirms it was one of their aircraft, an Air Wisconsin flight that had just landed in Chicago from Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The driver of the tug was pinned under the vehicle when it flipped over due to the collision.
The driver, a 64-year-old man, was taken to Lutheran General Hospital in critical condition with injuries to his head and lower body, but he was stabilized, Chicago police said.
The accident delayed passengers from getting off the plane for a bit, no injuries were reported on the plane. Officials also said there were no significant impact to airport operations.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc7chicago.com ...
“...with injuries to his head and lower body”
At 64 that’s instant retirement and not much chance of making a full recovery. Adios to his retirement plans of other than sitting in a wheelchair.
What else
What became of all the drones?
I hope it wasn’t DEI this time.
The tug driver is possibly at fault, as aircraft have the right of way. Also to cross anything where aircraft might be expected, a tug driver has to have the control towers permission.
If the control tower gave permission in error, then it’s the ATC’s fault. I have a feeling that’s where the problem is, woke ATC’s where as a 64 yo driver would be paying attention. Just my opinion.
Local story, shouldn’t even be a national story.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc7chicago.com ...
It is a local story
DEI is your ‘friend’
Needs to stay that way.
It’s a dynamic environment. Head on a swivel. Who’s number one? You are number one. Driver mostly if not entirely at fault.
One of my dear friends and best running partner in Iraq, was out on the tarmac painting aircraft parking stripes with a helper. A couple of spaces over, a cargo aircraft was being unloaded. Once the aircraft was unloaded a Turkish forklift driver with large shipping boxes loaded on his forks steered the forklift in such a way that he ran over my friend killing him in a horrible way, turning him into a pile of guts, gristle, bones and flesh the size of a couple of 20 bags of potatoes.
The company, from then on added a spotter to any crew working out on the tarmac. Too late for my friend Dwayne. Dwayne done got himself killed. His helper should have been looking out for him. The problem was that they both were intensely involved in the task at hand and lost situational awareness.
Since the 1950s bumper cars have been popular.
I didn’t know they had expanded to have airport vehicles and planes involved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyW13Mipzdw
I wonder what effect cannabis vapes are having on all this stuff. It’s so easy to carry around canhabis in vape form and it’s indistinguishable odor-wise from nicotine vapes. Everyone’s high 24/7 now especially yoots. Cannabis can be relaxing
but it leads to horrible decisions.
As they tell you, flying is safer than driving.
Takeoff scene from The Langoliers by Stephen King.
(Another couple have the airport trucks almost hit by the maneuvering passenger plane as it taxis.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcmnG8ttLbU
True.
Also to cross anything where aircraft might be expected, a tug driver has to have the control towers permission.
Not true. About the only ground vehicles the tower is in contact with, is the fire chief.
If the control tower gave permission in error, then it’s the ATC’s fault.
Not true. ATC does not control ground vehicles, only aircraft. It is the driver’s responsibility to avoid aircraft. I wonder if anyone else has any questions about air traffic control? I am available to answer any questions.
A former air traffic controller.
Sounds like it would have been a lot easier for the guy on the tug to have seen the plane, than it would have been for the plane to see the tug. One of my pet peeves is people walking behind your car as you are backing out of a parking spot. Despite looking multiple times and no one being there, people seem to have a death wish by walking behind a car as it’s backing out. One woman started screaming at me. I put my window down and told her that it was a lot easier for her to see my car backing out, than it was for me to see her.
By the way, I was born and raised in Grand Forks.
Thank you for your expertise.
Thanks bro. I am amazed at how little most people know about ATC. My son is a USAF pilot. He is also amazed at how little people know about flying.
a couple of 20 bags of potatoes.
a couple of 20 lb bags of potatoes.
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