Sunday, March 24, 2013

► ZAMBIA: Refuelling truck rams into Emirates 777 at Lusaka KK International Airport causing "substantial" damage.

EmiratesAn Emirates (EK) Boeing 777-300ER (MSN: 37707 | A6-ECP) operating as flight EK714 from Harare to Dubai via Lusaka, sustained substantial damage on Wednesday 20 March at Lusaka's Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (Zambia) when a fuel tanker truck collided with it.

Press reports state that the aircraft was about to be refuelled when the fuel truck collided with an engine thereby causing substantial damage. The incident resulted in the cancellation of EK714 with passengers being booked into overnight hotels. They were then flown to Dubai aboard the following day's flight EK714.
The 777 in question was then ferried to Dubai on Friday 22 March for repair.


Lusaka has become notorious for sloppy ground handling - in December 2007, a South African Airways Boeing 737-800 was taxiing to its stand when it hit and overturned an incorrectly positioned utility truck with its left wing tip. While no injuries occurred, the aircraft did sustain damage to its wing.