Barcelona-Bound A320 Rams Into Truck in UK Manchester

A passenger plane collided with a tow truck while taxiing at northern England’s Manchester Airport before taking off for Barcelona, Spain, local media reported Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – An aviation expert told the publication the crash occurred during a standard "pushback" maneuver, in which the jet towed away from the passenger boarding bridge.

"It happened on a taxiway next to the runway and the plane was preparing to take off. It was getting towed out from a stand when the tug hit the aircraft," a witness told the Manchester Evening News daily.

"What happened is the shear pins snapped, and the tug went straight under the plane and hit the engine. The shear pin prevents the aircraft from being mishandled by the tug — when over-stressed the shear pin will snap," the unnamed expert said.

The Spain-based Vueling Airlines said in a statement the plane and tow truck "impacted" because of a "fault," while a Manchester Airport spokesperson said the collision did not cause delays in the airport’s operations.

Passengers have been escorted from flight VY8 749 and were expected to board the next plane.

An investigation was reportedly expected to be launched despite no injuries caused by the run-in.