At Capodichino Airport, a tractor-trailer collides with a departing plane, causing fear on board, but passengers are unharmed.

Naples – An unexpected event on the runway at Naples Capodichino Airport halted the departure of a Volotea flight to Palermo. During the preliminary stages of takeoff, a service vehicle struck the aircraft's fuselage, causing structural damage and the immediate suspension of flight procedures. Fortunately, no one on board or ground crew was injured.

The dynamics of the impact during pushback

The accident occurred in the aircraft parking area. The vehicle involved was a so-called "tractor," a specialized vehicle provided by the ground handling company to perform pushback operations—the maneuver required to tow the aircraft from the parking area to the taxiway.

For reasons still being investigated by technicians and airport authorities, the vehicle impacted the aircraft just as it was preparing to move it.

Reprotected passengers and technical checks

Immediately after the impact, standard safety procedures were implemented. Passengers were safely disembarked and escorted back into the terminal, where they awaited re-routing on an alternative flight provided by the airline.

The damaged aircraft was instead transferred to the maintenance area to verify the extent of the damage and carry out the necessary repairs before returning to service.

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