Two Delta Air Lines aircraft were involved in a collision while taxiing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday morning, resulting in the tail section of one plane being severed.
According to local reports, the incident took place as a Delta Airbus A350, en route to Tokyo, Japan, struck the tail of a smaller Endeavor Air Bombardier CRJ900, which was preparing for departure to Lafayette, Louisiana, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The impact caused noticeable damage to the tail of the Endeavor plane, as well as affecting the wing of the Airbus A350, as reported by Delta. Fortunately, there have been no injuries associated with this incident. Following the collision, passengers were safely returned to the terminal where they were rebooked onto alternative flights.
Jason Adams, a meteorologist for WFTS-TV in Tampa, Florida, shared his experience on the social platform X. He was on board the flight to Louisiana to cover Tropical Storm Francine when the accident occurred. “Well that was terrifying,” Adams recounted. “Taxiing out for the flight from Atlanta to Louisiana and another plane appears to have clipped the back of our plane. Very jarring, metal scraping sounds then loud bangs. We’re fine. No fire or smoke.”
In a related post, Adams shared images showing the tail of the smaller jet lying on its side on the taxiway. Delta confirmed their cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board and other authorities as they investigated the situation.
“At approximately 10:07 a.m., the wing of an Airbus A350 taxiing out as DL295 from Atlanta to Tokyo-Haneda made contact with the tail of an Endeavor Air CRJ-900, DL5526 to LaFayette, Louisiana, on an adjacent taxiway, resulting in damage to the tail of the regional jet and the wing of the A350. There have been no reported injuries at this time and customers are being transported back to the terminal where they will be reaccommodated on alternate flights. There were 221 customers on DL295 and 56 customers on DL5526. At this time, no additional operational adjustments are expected. Delta is cooperating with the NTSB and other authorities on this incident,” the statement read.
Despite the collision, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport indicated that they anticipate minimal disruption to airport operations. The situation is being monitored closely, and efforts are being made to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers involved.