A cabin door on a British Airways Boeing 777-200 jet was pulled off as it prepared to depart Cape Town on Wednesday evening.
When a tug driver allegedly began to push the plane back, it was parked at the terminal and linked to a jet bridge with the cabin door open.
After being ripped clean off the plane, photos of the aircraft released on Twitter showed the door propped up inside the jet bridge.
British Airways Boeing 777-300ER – Cape Town International Airport International Terminal – 26 January 2022.
"That'll Buff Right Out!" pic.twitter.com/3pB6p55t3g
— Ivan Leon (@IvanLeonZA) January 26, 2022
The jet was scheduled to fly back to London Heathrow Airport on British Airways flight BA42, however, that flight has been canceled, as expected, and specialized repair work will be necessary to restore the plane airworthy again.
The incident did not result in any reported injuries.
Thankfully, no one was near the door or jet bridge at the time of the accident, and the door was almost ripped off.
Incident / The L1 door of a @BoeingAirplanes 777-300ER @emirates was damaged at MNL airport after a jetbridge malfunctioned. Photos received from a friend. @JacdecNew @AviationSafety pic.twitter.com/yR4vDiYWY4
— Aeronews (@AeronewsGlobal) August 15, 2020
In 2008, a Lufthansa A340-300 plane was involved in a similar incident when the jet bridge at Denver International Airport suddenly and unexpectedly lowered. The door was ripped clean off the plane just moments after 204 passengers boarded it on that occasion.
Another Virgin Atlantic A340-300 was extensively damaged when a jet bridge at Cape Town International Airport fell the same year. Because of the predicted structural damage, the repair time was estimated to be 6-8 weeks.
Photo cover via Twitter: Ivan Leon
