JetBlue plane tilts back at JFK airport due to shift in weight and balance
Passengers on a JetBlue flight from Barbados to New York’s JFK Airport had an air-raising experience when the nose of their plane tilted into the air as they were getting off.
Hundreds of people are thought to have been on board the B6662 flight, which touched down just after 8.30pm on Monday night.
Those on board were invited to disembark from the front, but poor weight distribution on the Airbus A321-231 led to the back of the plane sinking towards the tarmac, and the front wheels lifting a full 12 feet off the ground.
A spokesman for the airline said: “Once at the gate, due to a shift in weight and balance during deplaning, the tail of the aircraft tipped backward causing the nose of the aircraft to lift up and eventually return back down.
Safety is JetBlue’s first priority; we are reviewing this incident, and the aircraft has been taken out of service for inspection.”
No injuries were reported aboard the eight-year-old plane which had just finished its four-and-a-half hour flight from the Caribbean.
Industry experts said that such incidents are not uncommon when aircraft have been badly loaded.
Two years ago a United Airlines Boeing 737 carrying some of the University of Southern California football team tilted backwards while being unloaded at Lewiston, Idaho, leaving its front wheels off the ground and its nose pointing in the air.
JetBlue currently has 92 Airbus A321-231s in its fleet, 85 of which are in active service and seven are currently parked in storage, according to aviationsourcenews.com.
The website reported that the incident means the aircraft will be grounded and a replacement jet will be needed to operate the next flight down to Montego Bay.
Plane spotters were quick to speculate on what had caused the uneven weight distribution, with some joking it might be a cargo of gold or even an elephant.
Conclusion
The incident at JFK airport is a reminder that even the most routine flights can have unexpected surprises. It is also a reminder of the importance of proper weight distribution on aircraft.
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