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ARLINGTON, Va. — The wing tip of a South Carolina-bound American Airlines plane struck another plane on a taxiway at Reagan Washington National Airport on April 10, authorities said. No injuries were reported.
The wing tip of an aircraft heading to Charleston International struck another American aircraft going to New York City about shortly before 1 p.m., according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating.
The plane heading to New York wasn't moving at the time, passenger and U.S. Rep.
Nick LaLota said on X. LaLota noted that U.S.
Rep. Grace Meng was also aboard his flight. "Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences .
.. like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing," LaLota's post said.
"Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok!" About 80 passengers and crew members were on the plane to Charleston, and 71 were on the flight to New York, according to the airline. The Dallas-based company said in a statement that damage was limited to a winglet on each aircraft. It said both planes would be taken out of service for inspection and that replacements would take passengers to their destinations.
"Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience," the airline said in the statement. Greg Gilligan, a passenger on the flight to New York, said he was able to board another plane about 3:30 p.m.
He said the experience had stunned him. "I saw the plane zipping by thinking it was going fast, when it struck the wing of our plane," Gilligan said in a text message. "It was a crazy unbelievable experience.
" It's the latest incident for passengers on a Charleston-bound American Airlines flight. Last month one of the carrier's aircraft was struck and damaged by a baggage vehicle at Philadelphia International Airport. The March 19 collision appeared to produce a crack in an aft section of the right wing.
The Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft was parked at the time, and no injuries were reported. “Prior to departure, a baggage tug came into contact with American Eagle flight 5341, operated by PSA Airlines," a representative of American said in an email to The Post and Courier. "The aircraft was immediately removed from service to be inspected by our maintenance team, and a replacement aircraft carried customers safely to CHS.
".
