Who Put This Stupid Light Pole In The Way Of My Southwest Flight?

By January 30, 2012
oopsysouthwest

(hilarynh)

Earlier this morning, a Southwest Airlines flight made it all the way from Los Angeles to Denver without any apparent incident. That is, until the huge Boeing 737 managed to clip a light pole.

“I was just in a plane crash!!” wrote InstaGram user hilarynh, who was savvy enought to snap a picture of the incident through her window on the jet. “Seriously. The pilot hit a light pole.”

According to KWGN news, the incident happened around 9:30 a.m. MT this morning while Southwest flight 792 was making its way form the runway to the gate at Denver International Airport.

Looks like no one was hurt and the airport continued to operate without a hitch. Though we’re sure there was some grumbling and muttering from the unlucky folks who had to go out there and fix the knocked-over pole.

Southwest Airlines jet hits light pole at Denver International Airport [KWGN.com]

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Comments

  1. Cat says:
    January 30, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    I blame the light pole, per my alcoholic brother’s reasoning:
    “What? That light pole jumped out in front of me!”

    RIP, bro.

  2. frenchman says:
    January 30, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    Obviously, this is all because the OP had her phone on before the plane made it to the gate, causing interference with the super-duper-advanced (yet unshielded and incredibly vulnerable) navigation equipment.

    Tsk, tsk, tsk.

  3. GreatWhiteNorth says:
    January 30, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    you have to be kidding… nope not kidding. Someone is going to go without their bonus this month.

    • El_Red says:
      January 30, 2012 at 4:50 pm

      What bonus? Most USA’s pilots get ridiculously small paychecks. I’m sure they’ll laugh at lack of “bonus”.

  4. shamowfski says:
    January 30, 2012 at 2:25 pm

    Looks like it took a dive.

  5. thomwithanh says:
    January 30, 2012 at 2:25 pm

    Is it just me, or are a greater than usual number of consumerist stories airline/airport related?

  6. farcedude2 says:
    January 30, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    You know, “huge” and “Boeing 737″ just don’t go together in my mind.

    • wackydan says:
      January 30, 2012 at 2:34 pm

      Compared to regional jets? There are several variations of 737, some are large… not 767 large, but they are a good size plane.

      • physics2010 says:
        January 30, 2012 at 3:25 pm

        I’m pretty sure the various variations of the 737 are all very much the same size.

      • Greg Ohio says:
        January 30, 2012 at 3:43 pm

        Not at all. The newer versions are about 20% larger.

        It’s small as commercial jets go, but still > 100 ft wingspan.

    • Quake 'n' Shake says:
      January 30, 2012 at 2:35 pm

      I was thinking the same thing.
      This automobile equivalent would be hitting the light pole with a Chevy Malibu.

    • McRib wants to know if you've been saved by the Holy Clown says:
      January 30, 2012 at 2:39 pm

      Park it next to my Mazda.

    • Buckus says:
      January 30, 2012 at 3:10 pm

      Agreed. 737′s are relative lightweights in commercial plane terms. Everything newer that Boeing makes is larger, but the 737 is small by comparison. If a 747 could be considered a Suburban, the 737 is more like a Rav 4.

      • Velvet Jones says:
        January 30, 2012 at 3:37 pm

        Well, it’s better than that big ass Airbus that smacked the little RJ like it was a toy. Now that is a big plane.

  7. MountainCop says:
    January 30, 2012 at 2:33 pm

    I’ll bet the pilot agrees that DIA actually stands for Damned Inconvenient Airport… which it is.

  8. scoosdad says:
    January 30, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    They’ll just send BURN-E out there to put up a new one. Will take three or four trips.

  9. There's room to move as a fry cook says:
    January 30, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    Stay on target. Stay on target!

  10. Murph1908 says:
    January 30, 2012 at 3:15 pm

    I just wanted to let you know, we’re all counting on you.

  11. RandomHookup says:
    January 30, 2012 at 3:17 pm

    I have dreams about this all the time, but we don’t hit a pole until after the jet flies under an overpass.

  12. AllanG54 says:
    January 30, 2012 at 3:23 pm

    This doesn’t really qualify as a plane crash. It’s more what the NTSB would call an “incident.” In any event, the pole looks like it’s been there forever and I’m sure lots of planes have passed it without any trouble.

  13. PittPanther says:
    January 30, 2012 at 3:30 pm

    So does this “incident” effectively end the career of the SWA pilot, or will he be able to live this down?

  14. dicobalt says:
    January 30, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    Don’t blame the pilot, it slipped his mind that he wasn’t driving his SUV – which doesn’t have wings.

  15. Geekybiker says:
    January 30, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    Did the pilot turn down one of the taxiways meant only for ground craft? You’d have to be way way way off center or going somewhere you aren’t supposed to hit a pole like that.

  16. Dr. Ned - This underwear is Sofa King Comfortable! says:
    January 30, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    Per Chris Rock, your only job as an Airline Pilot is to keep the plane OFF DA POLE!

  17. dangermike says:
    January 30, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    Don’t worry, scrote. There are plenty of ‘tards out there living really kick-ass lives. My first wife was ‘tarded. She’s a pilot now.

    • Round-Eye §ñ‰∫∫„ÅØ„Ç≥„É≥„Çπ„Éû„É™„ÉÉ„Çπ„Éà„ÅåÂ•Ω„Åç„Åß„Åô„ÄÇ says:
      January 30, 2012 at 5:18 pm

      +1,000,000. Idiocracy references NEVER get old. And they’re becoming more and more relevant, unfortunately.

  18. AngryK9 says:
    January 30, 2012 at 5:13 pm

    A 737 is not “huge”, it is actually quite small. A 747 could be considered “huge” maybe, but not a 737.

  19. Slatts says:
    January 30, 2012 at 5:30 pm

    To paraphrase Lynyrd Skynyrd, from the classic opening lines of “That Smell”:

    “Whiskey bottles, brand new jet… light pole, you’re in my way.”

  20. Cacao says:
    January 30, 2012 at 7:50 pm

    Sometimes poles are put in inconvenient places.

    http://bikeportland.org/2012/01/20/streetcar-project-puts-pole-on-broadway-bridge-path-65614

  21. nautox says:
    January 30, 2012 at 7:56 pm

    Hey, who let the cat in the cock pi…
    *crash*
    what the … did I just hit something?

  22. aaron8301 says:
    January 31, 2012 at 9:42 am

    And people complain when I run over Hondas in my 18-wheeler.

  23. Excuse My Ambition Deficit Disorder says:
    January 31, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    Chris…you missed quoted hilarynh. She didn’t say the pilot hit a light pole…she said this: ‚ÄúI was just in a plane crash!! Seriously. The pilot bit a light pole‚Äù

  24. SissyOPinion says:
    February 1, 2012 at 2:58 pm

    I’m pretty sure I get your drift but as a driving instructor I lol’d.