Plane carrying dozens of people collides with tug near PHL gate, officials say

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An airplane carrying more than five dozen people hit a vehicle before takeoff at Philadelphia International Airport on Saturday, according to airport officials.

Sixty-five passengers and four crew members were aboard American Eagle Flight 4487 — operated by Republic Airways — which was bound for Kansas City.

But while leaving the gate — a procedure known as pushback — officials said the plane collided with a tug tractor, a piece of equipment used to tow and move around planes.

American Eagle is a regional branch of American Airlines. An American Airlines spokesperson said the aircraft was taken out of service for inspection.

American Airlines said no passengers or crew members were injured in the collision, but the driver of the tug was taken to the hospital for observation.

Customers boarded a different plane and departed about six hours later, according to FlightAware.

American Airlines apologized in a statement, saying, “We never want to disrupt our customers’ travel plans and apologize for the inconvenience this caused.”