Former President Donald Trump’s Boeing 757 jet struck a parked plane at a Florida airport after landing safely and taxiing early Sunday morning. The incident occurred at West Palm Beach International Airport and involved Trump’s privately owned aircraft and a parked VistaJet. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the collision, which occurred at 1:19 a.m. ET. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the incident, as the area of the airport where the incident occurred is not under FAA direction.
The wing of Trump’s Boeing 757 made contact with the rear elevator of the parked corporate jet, causing the damage. The winglet on the aircraft struck the parked and unoccupied plane as it was taxiing on the tarmac. A winglet is a short fin that projects upward from an aircraft’s wing and is used to reduce aerodynamic drag. The incident occurred after Trump had held a campaign rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, prior to landing in Florida. Trump maintains a residence at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach.
Despite the incident with his aircraft, Trump is currently facing criminal charges in New York state court related to hush money payments. Trump’s defense lawyer, Todd Blanche, has been cross-examining Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, who is a key witness in the case. Cohen paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in 2016 to keep silent about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Cohen has claimed he did so at Trump’s direction to protect his presidential campaign in that year.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the case, stating that the charges against him are politically motivated to harm his chances in elections. He pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records in relation to the hush money payments. The incident involving Trump’s aircraft at the Florida airport is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, and no further details have been released. CNBC has requested comments from Trump’s presidential campaign about the incident, but no response has been provided yet. The collision between Trump’s Boeing 757 and the parked plane has raised questions about the safety and operational procedures at West Palm Beach International Airport.
