Runaway Catering Cart Nearly Hits Plane on Tarmac but American Airlines Employee Saves the Day

Runaway Catering Cart Nearly Hits Plane on Tarmac but American Airlines Employee Saves the Day

It was a wild day in the Windy City on Monday when a catering cart on the tarmac at Chicago O’Hare International Airport seemingly took on a mind of its own.

In a now-viral video, the cart can be seen careening around in circles on the tarmac — extremely close to an airplane.

Several workers wearing bright yellow vests can be seen standing around the cart, seemingly trying to figure out a way to stop the out of control cart. As it spins, food trays and other debris falls off of it, littering the surrounding area.

Almost halfway through the video, an enterprising American Airlines employee drives a red vehicle straight into the cart, causing it to stop circling and crash onto its side.

Thankfully, the cart never did hit the nearby airplane or cause any injuries, though it did cause a 10-minute delay to one flight, the airline told PEOPLE.

Dr. Kevin Klauer was the passenger who caught the whole thing on video and told CNN that what began as a silly sight quickly took a turn for the worse when it looked like it could be dangerous.

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“At first, it was humorous to see this drive itself and not fall over, but then as it picked up speed it presented danger to people,” the osteopathic physician, who was traveling to Tennessee, said.

“Everyone was actually really quietly watching this unfold. When it ended, the whole gatehouse erupted in applause,” he added to the outlet.

Catering Cart | CNN
Catering Cart | CNN

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In a statement to PEOPLE, the airline said that it is “investigating an incident involving a catering truck” at the airport, and that “preliminary reports indicate that the accelerator became stuck and caused the catering cart to lose control.”

“No American Airlines team members were injured and the incident resulted in one 10 minute flight delay,” the statement continued. “We appreciate the quick action of our team member who stopped the vehicle.”

“Safety is our top priority and we are working with our partners to investigate the incident,” the statement concluded.