'It was a massive thud, a big bang'

PASSENGERS TELL OF MOMENT PLANES 'CLIPPED WINGS' ON AIRPORT TAXIWAY

- By CHRIS SLATER & IAN HUGHES

THERE was drama at Manchester Airport as two planes 'clipped wings' shortly before they were due to take off.

The easyJet planes, one bound for Gibraltar and the other for Paris, were on their way to the runway when they made contact with each other at around 6.30am yesterday.

Airport fire crews and specialist workers responded, and all flights were temporarily halted as a precaution while safety checks took place.

Staff could be seen picking up pieces of debris from the airfield, while workers on a cherry picker could also be seen examining one plane's wing tip, part of which came off.

The jets eventually returned to the stand and passengers were disembarked with new aircraft secured for their flights. After leaving the terminal, planes travel along a long-running taxiway. Between this and the runway are what look like 'spurs,' which sit at a 45 degree angle to the taxiway.

These small lanes form the route planes take to the runway, and are where planes will wait before being given the all-clear to take off.

It is thought there were two planes waiting on one 'spur,' which the M.E.N. understands is not unusual.

According to reports, the rearmost of these two had come to a halt with its wing slightly overhanging the main section of the taxiway.

The wing of another plane, coming along the main section of the taxiway, is then understood to have collided with this overhanging bit of wing.