Southwest Airlines plane hit by pickup truck 'that was left in gear and rolled into jet engine' at Boston airport

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Dozens of Southwest Airlines passengers were delayed by about two hours today after a pickup truck crashed into a plane at Boston’s international airport.

Almost 120 travellers were waiting to board flight WN771 from Logan International Airport to Atlanta when the collision occurred at about 5:30am local time.

No injuries were reported, but the aircraft has been taken out of service for repairs.

Passengers were waiting to board the Southwest Airlines plane when it was struck by a pickup truck

Cara Strobel said she and fellow travellers were waiting inside the terminal when the truck crashed into one of the Boeing 737’s engines as the plane sat on the snowy apron.

She told MailOnline Travel that an official at the airport said the truck was unoccupied and left in gear, allowing it roll into the jet engine near a fuel tank.

The 25-year-old, who was heading to Florida for a family holiday, said: ‘All of a sudden we saw the reflections of the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles and an announcement was made that we would be delayed.

As a precaution Southwest Airlines decided to ground the plane and bring in a replacement aircraft

‘I unfortunately don't know the details of how it happened, but it looks as though the rear of the truck was what hit the engine.

‘As far as I know, no one was injured. If anything it looked like a "fender bender" and they're sending us a replacement as a precaution.

‘I'd much rather have a new plane and have them check out this one.’

 The back end of the truck collided with one of the plane's engines on the airport's snowy apron

A Southwest Airlines spokesperson told MailOnline Travel that no one was on board the plane at the time of the collision.

The spokesperson said the truck belonged to a different airline. 

Cara said Southwest Airlines staff informed passengers that they would be delayed by about two hours as a replacement plane was brought in from Washington, DC.

The spokesperson for the Dallas-based airline said: ‘The 119 customers will arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport about two-and-half hours behind schedule and our employees are working to accommodate any travel needs created by the delay.

‘We thank our delayed customers for their patience as our people worked to recover from the operational curveball and deliver those customers safely to their destinations.’