A worker at Chicago O’Hare International Airport was critically injured on Saturday night after a vehicle that tows aircraft and a plane collided, causing the vehicle to flip over. The collision occurred around 7:35 p.m. when an Air Wisconsin jet approaching a gate struck the vehicle, known as a tug, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The 64-year-old driver of the tug was pinned underneath and sustained head and lower-body injuries. He was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in critical condition but has since been stabilized. The man was operating the tug for United Airlines.
Passengers on the Air Wisconsin plane, a Bombardier CRJ-200 that had arrived from Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport, were safely evacuated and taken to a terminal. Thankfully, no passengers on the plane were injured.
American Airlines, the parent company of Air Wisconsin, stated that they are providing support and care to the injured worker. The Chicago Department of Aviation confirmed that there were no significant disruptions to airport operations due to the collision.
The F.A.A. and Chicago Police Department are conducting investigations into the incident. This incident occurred just a day after a tragic medical plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia that resulted in the deaths of six people onboard and one person on the ground.
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