Excuse my ignorance here, but surely unless it can be proved that the individual concerned deliberately rammed into said plane, then i don't really see how he/she can be sacked on the spot. Part of being human is that mistakes and accidents will naturally occur from time to time. Surely the person concerned could appeal... unless his/her contract clearly states 'driving a de-icing rig into a q400 is considered gross misconduct and will result in employment termination'. Unlikely methinks. JW411 says 'such events are incredibly common in the rest of the world'... makes you wonder if this is particularly high demand for drivers if the actions of those in SOU is anything to go by!!