Five hurt, driver charged after fuel truck strikes plane at Pearson airport

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Five people were taken to hospital with minor injuries and a fuel truck driver was charged after a truck hit a plane on the tarmac at Toronto Pearson International Airport early Friday morning.

Authorities say the Air Canada Jazz flight with 51 people on board had left for Sudbury, Ont., but turned around because of bad weather and was taxiing back to the gate when it was struck at 1:36 a.m.

A spokeswoman for Peel Regional Police said the truck hit the plane three times, and the truck driver is now facing a charge of dangerous driving.

A spokeswoman for Jazz Aviation, which operated the flight under an agreement with Air Canada, said three crew members and two passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries, but have all now since been released.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it was deploying a team of investigators to the scene.

Menzies Aviation, the company that operates the fuel truck involved in the crash, said it has also begun an investigation to determine what happened.

A spokeswoman for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which operates Pearson, said the incident had no impact on operations.

The Canadian Press