Minot, ND — A routine call for sand turned into a dramatic tarmac incident Tuesday morning when a sand truck slid on ice and crashed into the nose of a SkyWest Embraer 175 at Minot International Airport.
According to city officials, the crash happened at about 8:45 a.m. after an airport employee drove the sand truck to Gate 2 in response to a request to treat the slick pavement. As the driver approached the aircraft, the truck hit a patch of ice, veered left, then slid backwards — directly into the front of the parked regional jet.
No passengers or crew were on board at the time, and thankfully no injuries were reported. However, both the aircraft’s nose and the sand truck sustained damage.
Authorities say icy conditions on the tarmac played a key role in the mishap, as crews continued battling winter weather across the region.
Airport officials have launched a review of the incident as repairs and safety assessments get underway.
