Southwest Airlines Plane Struck by Ground Vehicle at Memphis Airport

A Southwest Airlines plane experienced an incident when a ground equipment vehicle struck it during passenger boarding on Sunday. This occurred at Memphis International Airport in Tennessee, as confirmed by an airline spokesperson to Fox News Digital.

The affected flight, Southwest Flight 4013, was removed from service following the contact with the vehicle. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The airline stated, “Southwest Flight 4013 was contacted by a ground equipment vehicle during boarding today at Memphis International Airport.”

The Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority verified the event in a statement to Fox News Digital, noting it as an isolated occurrence. The statement mentioned, “Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority can confirm that an isolated incident occurred today at Memphis International Airport.”

Following the collision, passengers were redirected to board an alternate aircraft to continue their journey. Southwest informed that the alternate plane would operate the route to Dallas, although the company’s website indicated Flight 4013 resuming service to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.

Due to the delay, passengers departed nearly four hours later than planned, with arrival rescheduled for 5:30 p.m. instead of the original 1:50 p.m.

An investigation into the incident has commenced, as stated by Southwest. “The event will be investigated through our comprehensive Safety Management System,” the airline assured the public, emphasizing, “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers and Employees.”