Two American Airlines planes collided on the taxiway at Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday afternoon, one of which carried multiple members of Congress.
At approximately 12:45 pm in DC, American Airlines Flight 5490 heading to Charleston, South Carolina, was clipped by the wingtip of American Airlines Flight 4522 en route to New York's JFK Airport, Investing reported.
While waiting on the runway to fly out of DC today, another plane clipped the wing of the plane my colleagues and I were on. Fortunately, everyone is okay & we're heading back to New York soon. Thank you to all who reached out with your concerns! pic.twitter.com/MAbN2E4dcW
— Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) April 10, 2025
No injuries were reported, and both planes returned to the gate for inspection. Among those on board were Representatives Grace Meng (D-NY) and Nick LaLota (R-NY), who confirmed the incident via social media.
"While waiting on the runway... another plane clipped the wing of the plane my colleagues and I were on. Fortunately, everyone is okay," Meng posted on X.
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. Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok! (And @RepGraceMeng is handing out grapes!) pic.twitter.com/bOo1JNXZDh
— Congressman Nick LaLota (@RepLaLota) April 10, 2025
LaLota added some levity, noting, "Another plane just bumped into our wing... thankfully everyone is ok! And @RepGraceMeng is handing out grapes!"
Meng shared LaLota's post with added commentary. "I'm grateful no one was hurt today, but this incident underscores this urgent need restore all FAA jobs that keep our runways safe," Meng wrote.
Air safety, particularly at the DC airport, has been under scrutiny since an American Airlines plane and a Black Hawk helicopter collision left 67 dead in January. Federal Aviation Administration data has highlighted air traffic controller staffing shortages as an ongoing challenge.
The FAA is investigating the cause of the collision. American Airlines has not yet issued a public statement.
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