TimesDispatch.com | Fuel truck hits jet at Richmond airport

This is for the ARFF guys. Just trying to keep you on your toes. Anyone? No, oh well. Don’t say I didn’t try to keep you informed.

TimesDispatch.com | Fuel truck hits jet at Richmond airport:

Fuel truck hits jet at Richmond airport
Vehicle with 4,000 pounds of fuel strikes aircraft’s right wing

BY CHIP JONES
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Feb 7, 2006

MONDAY
METRO BUSINESS
ON THEIR TOES:
How does the airport plan for emergencies?

A fuel truck struck a United Airlines regional jet early yesterday at Richmond International Airport, causing minor injuries, some missed flights and property damage.

But it could have been much worse.

“There was a lot of fuel out there,” airport spokesman Troy Bell said. “We were fortunate not to have a leak.” The threat of an explosion, Bell said, “was treated as the greatest immediate danger.”

At 6:25 a.m. a fuel truck operated by a private aviation company, Million Air, struck the right wing tip of United Express Flight 8006.

“Apparently it was a pretty strong strike,” Bell said, causing the 50-seat airplane to leave skid marks when it was shoved on the loading ramp.

The 42 passengers were quickly evacuated from the plane, with no injuries reported.

The truck, which carried 4,000 pounds of fuel, struck the Embraer 145 jet less than 2 feet away from the airplane’s fuel tank. No fuel spilled, though.

The airplane was fully loaded with 5,000 pounds of jet fuel.