Incident Overview
A McDonnell Douglas MD-88 was parked at its gate and in the process of boarding passengers when it was struck by an 18-wheel tractor-trailer. The truck had been parked between gates 5 and 6 at LaGuardia Airport to deliver tires. The driver was advised that the vehicle would need to be moved to accommodate an inbound aircraft for gate 5. Without a ground guide, the driver entered the truck and moved it.
Collision and Aircraft Movement
A witness observed the driver steer the truck cab, which then collided with the right wing tip of the MD-88. The impact caused the airplane to pivot around its main landing gear, which were chocked. As a result, the nose of the aircraft moved approximately 4½ feet to the right, away from the jetway.
Passenger Incident
At the time of the collision, a passenger was stepping from the jetway into the airplane. The sudden movement of the aircraft caused the passenger to fall 8 feet to the ground.