An SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A320neo struck a fence at Oslo Airport while preparing for a flight to Stockholm on February 14, 2024. The incident became the third ground collision resulting in damage to an aircraft in less than two weeks at the airport.
According to local reports, SAS flight SK864 operated by Airbus A320neo EI-SIT was in the process of being pushed back from its gate to taxi to the active runway at Oslo Airport (OSL) when its left wingtip came into contact with a fence structure. Although there were no injuries reported among the passengers or crew onboard the flight, the aircraft sustained damage and returned to the apron for the damage to be examined and assessed by engineers.
The flight, which was heading to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (ARN) was subsequently canceled, and the aircraft remains on the ground in Oslo at the time of writing, presumably awaiting repair. The aircraft, operated by SAS subsidiary SAS Connect, is 1.6 years old, according to ch-aviation.
The incident is the second to befall a commercial airline from that same gate in just two weeks. On February 2, 2024, a Norwegian Boeing 737 also bound for Stockholm collided with a fence at the same gate while being pushed back. No one was injured in that incident either, although that aircraft also sustained damage to its wingtip.
Speaking to the Associated Press (AP) about the two incidents in as many weeks, Oslo Airport spokesperson Monica Iren Fasting said that the gate in question has since been closed until a safety assessment can be carried out and added that both incidents will be fully investigated.
Just as recently as February 13, 2024, two Norwegian Boeing 737s were damaged at the airport while one was being pushed back for departure from the gate area. The aircraft involved in that incident were both Boeing 737-800s (registered LN-ENO and SE-RPI).
It is understood that the left winglet of LN-ENO struck the horizontal stabilizer of the second plane as it prepared for a flight to Kristiansand as DY276. Both aircraft sustained damage as a result of the collision. SE-RPI had only just arrived at the airport having completed the short domestic flight from Bodø Airport (BOO).
Charlotte Holmbergh, Norwegian’s Head of Communications advised AP that one of the planes was preparing to depart when another Norwegian plane “came too close and hit the other aircraft at low speed and their wings touched”. No one was injured in the incident, Holmbergh confirmed.
