Virgin 737s collide at Hobart, third veers off Darwin runway

Two Virgin planes collided on the tarmac at Hobart and another veered off the runway at Darwin.

The wing of a Virgin 737 damaged at Hobart. Picture: Matt Thompson

Virgin Australia has been forced to ground three aircraft after two collided on the tarmac at Hobart and another veered off the runway at Darwin.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau immediately launched an investigation into the Darwin incident, which saw a Virgin-operated Boeing 737 veer off the runway as it landed in gusty conditions.

“Guests were able to disembark as normal,” said a Virgin spokesman. “We will work closely with the ATSB during their ­investigation.”

The plane sustained minor damage. Two ATSB investigators were dispatched to Darwin to conduct an examination of the runway, surrounding area and the aircraft to determine the cause of the incident.

On a bad day for Virgin’s ­safety record, two other of the airline’s Boeing 737s collided on the tarmac at Hobart yesterday morning. The collision occurred when one of the planes was pulling away from the gate. Its wing clipped the tail of a 737 as passengers were boarding.

The planes were scheduled to fly to Sydney and Melbourne but were pulled from service.

Passengers boarding the Melbourne-bound flight reported an “almighty shudder” when the collision occurred but no one was injured. “(It) visibly rocked the plane — people were almost knocked off their feet,” one passenger told the ABC.

Virgin said the aircraft made “light contact”. “There was no safety risk during this time and engineers are currently inspecting the aircraft,’’ a spokesman said. “We apologise for the delay to passengers and are working hard to have them on their way as quickly as possible.”

The spokesman said the “knock-on” effect to other flights in the Virgin network would be minimal as replacement aircraft were available.