Two Delta Connection regional jets had a minor collision on the ground at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Wednesday night, marking another incident in a troubling trend of near misses and ground incidents involving passenger aircraft this year. The incident occurred around 9:58 p.m., resulting in one reported minor injury.
According to Delta Air Lines and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the collision happened when one CRJ-900 regional jet was taxiing for departure to Roanoke, Virginia, while the other had just landed from Charlotte, North Carolina, and was taxiing to its gate. Preliminary reports indicated that the wing of the departing aircraft made contact with the fuselage of the arriving plane.
Delta stated that their teams at LaGuardia are working to ensure care for their customers following the incident. The airline expressed its commitment to passenger safety, emphasizing that the welfare of customers and employees is paramount. They also indicated their intention to cooperate fully with all relevant authorities for a thorough investigation into the collision.
Onboard the departing flight, Endeavor Air Flight 5155, there were four crew members and 28 passengers, while the second jet, Endeavor Air Flight 5047, was carrying four crew members and 57 passengers. A flight attendant on one of the aircraft sustained a minor injury and received treatment at the scene from emergency medical personnel.
This incident at LaGuardia is one of several close calls in recent months involving commercial air travel. Earlier this year, a B-52 bomber and a SkyWest jet nearly collided over North Dakota, and in April, a plane carrying U.S. House members was grazed by another aircraft at Ronald Reagan National Airport. Additionally, a separate event in February nearly led to a significant mishap at Chicago’s Midway International Airport when a passenger aircraft preparing to land was forced to abort its landing to avoid another jet crossing its path.
Delta’s commitment to safety and collaboration with the Port Authority, Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board signals a proactive approach in addressing and learning from these incidents. As the aviation industry continues to navigate safety concerns, the hope remains that such occurrences will lead to improvements in protocol that ultimately enhance passenger safety.