An airport van has crashed into the nose of a Libyan Airlines CRJ-900 aircraft (5A-LAC), causing minor damage.LN147 was due to leave to Tripoli at 1415h but it will have to stay in Malta until it has been inspected. Its 11 passengers and their baggage have been transferred to an Air Malta plane due to take off to Tripoli at 1715h.
The head of M.I.A. operations M. Dalmas told www.di-ve.com that the Air Malta plane would bring back Lufthansa Technik engineers who will inspect the damage to the plane's nose gear door and evaluate what the damage is.
Although the incident was minor, the same procedure has to be followed as for more major ones. Two investigations are already underway, one led by the Chief Inspector of Aircraft Accidents and another by the airport itself. These will determine the cause of the accident as well as ensure that sufficient procedures are in place to make sure it does not recur. Although ramp accidents are common in Europe, there are only few in Malta, Dalmas said.
(www.di-ve.com)
