Lion Air suffered structural damage after impacting building

LION AIR BOEING 737-8GP N381AG (MSN 39861)
EX PK-LQV

A Lion Air Boeing 737 has suffered structural damage after impacting a building during taxi at Merauke Mopah International Airport (MKQ/WAKK), Indonesia earlier Thursday morning.

Lion Air flight JT797 was departing the terminal building heading for Jayapuru (DJJ/WAJJ) when its right-hand wing struck the airport terminal building.

Footage which is now surfaced on social media shows the damage to both the aircraft’s wing that structure and to the corner of the building itself where it impacted.

According to the Indonesian news source Republika, Lion Air Corporate Communications Strategic manager Danang Mandala Prihantoro has issued a statement on the Merauke Mopah airport incident, saying:

“After service preparations and ground handling are complete, the aircraft gets ready and begins to move slowly in the aircraft parking area.”

He went on to note that the flight crew had decided to make a return to the parking point after an obstacle occurred, and it appears that at this point the aircraft’s right wing impacted the building structure.

The airline and aviation authorities are reportedly conducting further investigations into the incident.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Lion Air

Code: JT/LNI

Aircraft: Boeing 737-9GP

Registration: PK-LFO

Serial Number: 35716

Engine: 2 x CFMI CFM56-7B27

First Flew: 23rd January 2008

Age: 15 Yrs.