A ground handling vehicle struck a Southwest Airlines plane while passengers were boarding the aircraft Sunday at Memphis International Airport in Tennessee.

The airline confirmed that the incident involved flight 4013 and forced the plane to be removed from operation as a preventive measure. No injuries were reported.

“Southwest Flight 4013 was struck by a ground equipment vehicle during the boarding process,” the company said in statements to Fox Digital News.

The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority described the incident as an isolated incident and assured that the corresponding protocols were activated.

Passengers continued their journey after the incident

After the impact, the passengers were transferred to another aircraft to continue their trip.

Although a spokesperson initially indicated that the alternative flight would cover the route to Dallas, company operational records showed that flight 4013 later resumed its schedule bound for the Las Vegas area, specifically Harry Reid International Airport.

According to flight tracking reports, the departure accumulated a delay of close to four hours and the landing was estimated around 5:30 pm, when it was originally scheduled for 1:50 pm.

Southwest Airlines said it opened an internal investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident.

“The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority,” said the company, which indicated that the case will be evaluated within its Comprehensive Security Management System.

So far, no details have been released about the type of damage suffered by the aircraft or the vehicle involved.

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