ATLANTA (AP) — On Tuesday morning, two Delta Air Lines planes collided while taxiing at Atlanta’s airport. The larger aircraft inadvertently struck the tail of a smaller regional jet.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and Delta has assured passengers that they will be rebooked on other flights.
The incident involved a Delta Airbus A350, headed for Tokyo, which clipped the tail of a Bombardier CRJ-900. The smaller regional jet, operated by Delta’s partner Endeavor Air, was getting ready to take off for Lafayette, Louisiana.
Jason Adams, a meteorologist from WFTS-TV in Tampa, Florida, who was traveling to Louisiana to report on Tropical Storm Francine, shared his experience of the incident on social media platform X.
“It was absolutely terrifying,” Adams wrote. “As we were taxiing out for our flight from Atlanta to Louisiana, another plane seemed to have brushed against the back of ours. It was very jarring, with metal scraping sounds followed by loud bangs. Thankfully, we’re okay—no fire or smoke.”
He also shared photos showing the damaged tail of the smaller jet, which had tipped over and was resting on the taxiway.
According to Delta, the wing of the larger Airbus was also damaged in the collision.
Officials at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport reported that passengers from one of the planes were taken back to the terminal by bus, while the other plane was able to return to the gate by itself. The Airbus carried 221 passengers, while the regional jet had 56.
Delta has stated that it will cooperate fully with the National Transportation Safety Board and other relevant authorities as they investigate the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration is also looking into the matter.
Airport officials indicated that the overall disruptions to operations at the busy airport were “minimal.”
