An American Airlines Boeing 767 carrying the Miami Dolphins football team clipped another American aircraft while taxiing in Dallas late Wednesday night, causing damage to both planes and delaying the team’s trip home, according to reports.
CBS Miami said the Boeing 767-300ER pushing back from the gate to carry the team back to Fort Lauderdale following a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys when one of the plane’s winglets collided with the tail of a parked MD-80 aircraft.
No one was injured, but both planes will be relegated to the sidelines while inspections and repairs are made.
It is not clear who was at fault in the incident or whether anyone will be disciplined. While clipping is a 15 yard penalty in the NFL, in the airline biz it often costs someone their job.
NFL Films producer Rob Gehring was onboard the plane as part of the crew filming the Dolphins for the upcoming season of the HBO reality series “Hard Knocks”:
Yup. Clipped another plane on pushback and now a whole lot of exhausted, large men have to wait for another plane.
— Rob Gehring (@RobGehringNFL) August 30, 2012
The Hard Knocks crew reportedly caught the incident on film.
The team was eventually moved onto another 767 for the flight home, which didn’t depart until nearly 4 am Thursday morning and. The flight, which had been scheduled to leave shortly after midnight, didn’t land in Florida until 7:30 am.
Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline was not terribly pleased:
So tired and havent even left Dallas yet. Aaaaand the rumor is we backed into another plane… On the runway
#awesome! Anyone else awake?— Brian Hartline (@brianhartline) August 30, 2012
Nor was quarterback Matt Moore:
8:08 am. Just got home from Dallas.Longer trip ever!
— Matt Moore (@mattmoore_8) August 30, 2012
The Dolphins will try to damage some more jets when they take on the New York Jets in Miami on Sept. 23.
