Regulations & Safety
KLM Boeing 737 Ground Collision at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Two KLM Boeing 737-800 aircraft collided during pushback at Amsterdam Schiphol, causing damage but no injuries. Flights delayed and investigations underway.
Two Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines were involved in a ground collision at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) on the morning of Saturday, February 21, 2026. The incident, which occurred near the airport’s D-pier, resulted in damage to both airframes but caused no injuries to passengers or crew.
According to reporting by Dutch media outlets including NOS and NH Nieuws, the collision took place at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time. The event disrupted operations for the involved flights, requiring a replacement aircraft to transport passengers to their final destination.
The collision occurred during a pushback maneuver on the apron. Based on data verified by aviation news outlets, the incident involved a departing aircraft and an arriving aircraft.
The first aircraft, identified as PH-BCL, was pushing back from Gate D54 in preparation for flight KL1953 to Athens. Simultaneously, the second aircraft, registered as PH-BGC, had just arrived from Birmingham as flight KL1040 and was parking at the adjacent Gate D29.
Reports indicate that during the pushback procedure, the tail section of the departing jet made physical contact with the stationary or parking aircraft. Images circulating on social media and cited by aviation trackers appear to show damage to the rudder of PH-BCL.
Following the collision, both aircraft were immediately grounded for technical inspection. Passengers on the Athens-bound flight were deplaned and returned to the terminal. According to flight tracking data, the flight was delayed by approximately 3.5 hours before departing with a replacement Boeing 737-800, registered as PH-BCE.
KLM confirmed the incident shortly after it occurred. In a statement to the press, a spokesperson characterized the event as rare.
“This was a highly exceptional incident. Safety was not compromised.”
, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Spokesperson (via NOS)
The airline apologized to affected passengers for the inconvenience. As is standard procedure for ground incidents involving significant damage, the Dutch Safety Board (Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid) has been notified to determine if a formal investigation is necessary. KLM has also launched an internal inquiry to identify the root cause, which typically involves analyzing communications between the cockpit and ground handling crews.
While ground collisions, often referred to in the industry as “ramp rash”, are infrequent, they highlight the complexities of ground handling at major hubs like Schiphol. The D-pier is a high-traffic area utilized heavily by KLM’s narrow-body fleet. This incident mirrors a similar event in 2019, where a KLM Boeing 747-400 and a Boeing 787-9 collided during pushback at the same airport.
The immediate grounding of both aircraft suggests the damage, particularly to the rudder of PH-BCL, requires significant structural assessment. For an airline, the removal of two narrow-body aircraft from service, even temporarily, can strain fleet availability, though the rapid deployment of a replacement aircraft indicates KLM had sufficient spare capacity to mitigate the disruption.
Were there any injuries? What caused the collision? Are the aircraft still in service?
Ground Collision Involving Two KLM Boeing 737s at Schiphol
Incident Details and Aircraft Involvement
Operational Impact
Official Statements and Response
AirPro News Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
No. All passengers and crew deplaned safely, and no injuries were reported.
The incident occurred during a pushback maneuver. Investigations are underway to determine if the cause was mechanical failure, human error, or miscommunication between the tug driver and air traffic control.
No. Both PH-BCL and PH-BGC were removed from service for repairs and inspection immediately following the incident.
Sources
Photo Credit: X – airmainengineer