Venezolana de Aviación MD-83 badly damaged in ground collision at Maracay

A McDonnell Douglas MD-83 operated by Venezolana de Aviación sustained major damage on Thursday, August 20, at Libertador Airport near Maracay, Venezuela. The aircraft, 40 years old and registered YV-3499, was preparing to depart for Porlamar on Margarita Island when its left wing struck a fixed obstacle near the runway threshold while taxiing. That account comes from Venezuelan media cited in the report.

A large section of the wing was torn off in the collision. All passengers and crew were able to leave the aircraft without injury, the report said.

The incident is described as particularly damaging for the carrier, which is said to operate only two active aircraft: an MD-82 and the now-damaged MD-83. With the MD-83 out of service, the airline's operational capacity appears sharply reduced. No further details on its fleet plans were given.

No information was provided on the cause of the collision or the nature of the obstacle involved. Authorities have not yet issued a formal statement on what happened, and it remains unclear whether an investigation has been opened.