USA: Accident on the runway and increasing safety concerns
In a week marked by several serious safety incidents and accidents in U.S. aviation, another disturbing event occurred at Chicago O'Hare Airport on January 31, 2025. A ground employee was seriously injured in a collision between an arriving aircraft and an aircraft tug. This incident is just another in a series of accidents that have brought the U.S. aviation safety posture into focus in recent weeks and raised new questions about the safety of the aviation industry. In the late afternoon of January 31, a plane operated by regional airline Air Wisconsin, which flies for the American Eagle and United Express brands, landed safely at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Flight 6181 was a short route from Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Chicago, covering just 37 minutes. The Bombardier CRJ-200, registration N420AW, arrived at 18:14 p.m. (local time) and continued its taxi to the gate. However, while taxiing, a collision occurred on the taxiway with an aircraft tug that was on the ground. The tug, which had the 64-year-old driver on board, was overturned by the impact, trapping the driver under the tug. Immediate rescue measures were initiated and the seriously injured employee was admitted to Lutheran General Hospital after receiving stabilizing treatment. According to initial reports, the driver suffered severe head and lower body injuries, but was in stable condition after treatment. The airport's ground operations were not significantly affected by the incident, as passengers were taken to the terminal by bus after a short delay.
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