A Cayman Airways jet struck a vehicle on the tarmac at Tampa International Airport on Friday afternoon 28 Nov., forcing passengers to wait more than an hour on board and triggering the cancellation of a return flight to Grand Cayman.
Flight KX200, which landed from Grand Cayman at 1:18pm EST, was being guided into position at its gate when the incident occurred. Cayman Airways later confirmed the aircraft struck a vehicle on the ramp during the marshalling process, causing minor damage to a wingtip.
The aircraft was immediately withdrawn from service and handed over to maintenance crews in Tampa for inspection.
Cayman Public Radio president Ricardo Forbes, who was among those on the flight, said the vehicle involved appeared to be a baggage truck parked too close to the aircraft’s path.
“On its way [to the jet bridge] the baggage truck was parked too close and the person directing the plane to proceed did not realise it,” he recounted. “The right wing hit the baggage truck and the wing is stuck in the truck.”
Forbes said passengers remained on board while the aircraft was assessed by ground staff.
Travellers were eventually disembarked using a portable passenger staircase. Deplaning began just after 2:30pm Eastern Time, more than an hour after the scheduled arrival.
The airline described the event as “uneventful” in terms of passenger safety, with Forbes reporting that “there does not seem to be anyone hurt, because there are no emergency vehicles around the plane and all passengers seem to have deplaned.”
As a direct result of the incident, flight KX201 from Tampa back to Grand Cayman was cancelled, with affected passengers rebooked on alternative services. Cayman Airways also warned of minor knock-on delays to other flights as aircraft availability and crew rotations were adjusted throughout the evening.
In a statement, the carrier apologised for the disruption and said safety remains its top priority, urging passengers to check their email and the airline’s mobile app for the latest updates.
The disruption came at one of the busiest times of the year, with Tampa International Airport estimating that about 924,000 travellers would pass through the airport during the 12-day Thanksgiving travel period, a surge that places added strain on aircraft movements and ground operations.