Two planes have clipped their tails while on the ground at Paraburdoo airport in Western Australia's Pilbara, stranding passengers and causing a backlog of flights.
No one was injured in the incident, which involved a Fokker Qantas Link plane and a Boeing from Network Aviation, which is part of Qantas group.
![Two planes have clipped their tails together at Paraburdoo Airport.](/web/20161007175926im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/v/u/3/y/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.grvuav.png/1475708545913.jpg)
The horizontal stabilisers on the tails of both planes can be seen touching in photographs shared on social media - the areas are crucial control surfaces.
Witnesses have reported two planes clipping each other while on the tarmac at Paraburdoo Airport. No one was hurt. #9News pic.twitter.com/5T1mxi2f2I
— Nine News Perth (@9NewsPerth) October 5, 2016
Paraburdoo is major airport for fly-in fly out mining workers, and Nathan Piermont from Rio Tinto wrote on Facebook "Well looks like we're going to be stuck at Paraburdoo for a while.. Thanks Qantas."
Rio worker Brenton Collins said the incident has backed up flights taking workers out of the area.
"They had to send everyone back to camp because all flights grounded, they also have another plane there which can not take off because the other two are in the way," he said.