Former President Donald Trump’s Boeing jet struck a parked plane at a Florida airport after landing safely and taxiing early Sunday morning. The incident occurred after Trump had held a campaign rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, but it is unclear if he was on the jet at the time of the collision. No injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred around 1:19 a.m. ET at West Palm Beach International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating the incident, which involved Trump’s Boeing 757 hitting the rear elevator of a parked VistaJet.
The FAA stated that a privately owned Boeing 757 landed safely at the airport before the incident occurred. The winglet of the aircraft made contact with the parked corporate jet while taxiing, in an area where the FAA does not direct aircraft. A winglet is a short fin that projects upward from the wing of an aircraft and is used to reduce aerodynamic drag. CNBC has sought comment from a spokesman for Trump’s presidential campaign regarding the collision. Trump, who resides at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, is the presumptive Republican nominee and is currently facing criminal hush money charges in a New York state court case where he has pleaded not guilty.
Trump is facing charges related to the payment of $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels in late 2016, allegedly to buy her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, has testified that he made the payment at Trump’s direction to protect his presidential campaign. Trump has denied any involvement in the payoff and has denied any sexual encounter with Daniels. His defense lawyer has begun cross-examining Cohen in the trial, which Trump claims is politically motivated to damage his electoral chances. The collision between Trump’s aircraft and the parked plane at the airport adds to the ongoing legal challenges faced by the former president.
The incident highlights the potential risks associated with aircraft operations, even for high-profile individuals like former President Trump. The FAA’s investigation into the collision will likely focus on determining the cause of the incident and whether any safety protocols were breached. Despite the collision, no injuries were reported, and both aircraft were apparently undamaged. As Trump continues to navigate legal challenges and court proceedings, managing the aftermath of the aircraft collision adds another layer of complexity to his current situation. The collision serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to strict safety measures in aviation to prevent accidents and ensure the well-being of passengers and crew aboard aircraft.
