Planes Clip Each Other at Newark

The FAA is going to be busy at Newark. Yesterday evening, a plane taxiing for take-off clipped wings with another plane that was being towed. The Port Authority said "the left wing of outbound Lufthansa Flight 403, a Boeing 747, and the right wing of a Continental Boeing 757 under tow bumped at about 6:30PM." No one was injured, and the 294 Lufthansa passengers were moved to another plane. Continental says its plane was empty and stationary. The FAA will be investigating damage to the wings as well as seeing what may have caused the collision.

Now, planes may clip each other from time to time (it happened in September at LaGuardia), but, lately, Newark Airport hasn't been the most reassuring place to fly from or into. It was revealed yesterday that a Continental pilot mistook a taxiway for a runway and landed a plane (155 foot wingspan) on a 70 foot wide taxiway at Newark Liberty Airport. While some have suggested that mistaking runways and taxiways can be common, apparently the markings at Newark are very clear and very different for the respective areas. The FAA is investigating that incident as well, and Continental says the pilot and co-pilot have been grounded.