Overview
- Iberia’s A350-900 clipped a fire truck’s extended water cannon arm while taxiing through a ceremonial water salute on Thursday, June 4, forcing the crew to stop, return to the gate and cancel flight IB132.
- The impact left a deep groove in the left wingtip and damaged the composite winglet on aircraft EC-NXD, which remains grounded in Guayaquil while engineers assess structural repairs.
- Photos and video taken by passengers and planespotters circulated online within hours, drawing public attention and prompting calls for an official review of what went wrong.
- Ecuadorian aviation and airport authorities are expected to review fire-truck positioning and salute procedures to determine whether human or procedural errors caused the contact.
- The incident highlights the narrow clearances required for traditional water-cannon salutes around modern widebodies and could lead to tighter rules or limits on such ceremonies, with short-term effects on operations and passenger travel when inspections are needed.