It only took five minutes for three commuter jets to collide at Baton Rouge Metro Airport in Louisiana yesterday.
WAFB TV in the Louisiana capital says the incident happened at the airport’s new regional maintenance hanger for Atlantic Southwest Airlines.
The three planes were valued at $100 million, and reportedly one was totaled.
It happened when a mechanic hit the starter switch on one of the planes that was meant to get compressor blades to slowly start spinning. Instead, the plane went into full takeoff mode, pivoting wildly throughout the hangar at 90 degree angles before crashing into the other planes.
Witnesses tell the television channel that it was a lucky turnout that only the three planes were damaged. There were 14 ASA maintenance workers in the hangar, and in such a closed space the accident could have resulted in a serious explosion.