On Wednesday night, two Delta Air Lines planes collided on the taxiway at LaGuardia Airport in New York, causing one person to be injured, damage to the cockpit, and part of a wing to break off.
Delta Air Lines stated that a “low-speed collision” occurred between Endeavor Air Flight 5047 departing from Charlotte, North Carolina and Endeavor Air Flight 5155 destined for Roanoke, Virginia.
Endeavor Air is a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stated that the collision occurred before 10 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later said that Flight 5047 collided with Flight 5155 while taxiing to the gate. The FAA indicated that Flight 5155 was instructed by air traffic control to wait and yield to another aircraft.
The FAA mentioned that the incident took place at the intersection of taxiways M and A.
According to Delta Air Lines, initial information indicates that the wing of Flight 5155 collided with the fuselage of Flight 5047. Delta Air Lines reported that one flight attendant sustained minor injuries and received on-site treatment from emergency personnel. The Port Authority stated that the injured person was taken to the hospital.
The Port Authority mentioned, “Airport operations were not affected.”
Delta Air Lines stated that Flight 5155 had 32 people onboard, including 28 passengers and 4 crew members. Flight 5047 had 61 people onboard, including 57 passengers and 4 crew members.
According to air traffic control recordings, a pilot said, “Their right wing hit our nose and cockpit, our windshield… and some screens are damaged.” Images showed a plane with a broken wing and another with shattered cockpit windows and deep dents on the fuselage.
Passenger William Lusk told ABC, “The landing aircraft ‘came to a stop, shook violently, then leapt to the right.’ ‘Everyone was silent. Just as everyone was silent, the pilot calmly walked up and said, ‘Hey, we collided, everyone stay calm.'”
Delta Air Lines spokesperson Morgan Durrant stated, “Delta Air Lines’ team at LaGuardia Airport is working diligently to ensure passengers are properly cared for. Delta Air Lines will collaborate with all relevant departments to review the cause of the accident because we prioritize passenger and crew safety. We apologize to passengers for this incident.”
Passengers from both planes have disembarked and were bussed back to Terminal C. Delta Air Lines mentioned that meals have been provided for passengers and hotel accommodations and rebooking services have been arranged for those impacted by the incident.