2 Commuter Planes Clip Wings at John Wayne Airport

COSTA MESA —  Two 30-seat turboprop commuter planes at John Wayne Airport clipped wings on the ground near a passenger terminal Monday, shaking up passengers but doing little damage and injuring no one, officials said.

One flight was canceled and the other delayed, but both aircraft returned to service later in the day.

Both planes belong to United Express, which is operated by Fresno-based WestAir under a marketing agreement with United Airlines.

Company spokesman Mark Peterson said the incident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. when the ground crew tried to guide United Express Flight 3379, bound for Oakland, past an empty turboprop that was parked on the apron near the terminal.

“Apparently, there was a miscalculation,” Peterson said. “Flight 3379’s wingtip kissed the wingtip of another of our company’s aircraft.”

The 19 passengers aboard the departing turboprop were booked on later flights, Peterson said. Some, including Costa Mesa businessman John Wright, were angry.

“We had a collision out there, and I think people need to know about it,” Wright said. “They’re doing crazy things out there.”

Wright said he knew something was wrong when he felt a sudden bump. “They made us all get off, and it was all hurried up,” he said.

The parked aircraft was inspected and allowed to depart for Sacramento at 10 a.m., about 25 minutes late. The other plane was not repaired until Monday afternoon.

The only damage, officials said, was to the Plexiglas lenses covering the wingtip lights on both planes. The lights themselves were not affected.

Federal Aviation Administration officials said the incident occurred while both aircraft were in an area of the airport outside air traffic controllers’ jurisdiction. FAA tower chief Joe Fowler said controllers weren’t even aware of the incident until an hour after it happened.