Truck hits plane, driver blames beverage can

(CNN) -- In what might rival "the dog ate my homework" explanation, a catering truck driver told federal transportation investigators that a loose beverage can was responsible for his vehicle slamming into an AirTran plane in Milwaukee.

The incident occurred on October 4 when the truck approached the right front service door of Flight 725, a Boeing 717-200, at General Mitchell International Airport.

"The driver said a beverage can became lodged between the floor and brake pedal, preventing him from applying the brake and the truck struck the airplane," according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The jet, which had just arrived from Atlanta, sustained substantial damage along the fuselage, the board said.

There were no injuries to the 103 passengers and five crew members exiting the plane at the time.

AirTran Airways is a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines.

The incident was first reported by Flightglobal.com, an aviation news and industry publishing website.

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