A couple of commuter planes operated by Delta Air Lines experienced a impact while moving at LaGuardia airfield in New York, resulting in at least one injury in what the airline described as a “low-speed collision”.
Details of the Event
According to a statement from Delta, the wing of an aircraft carrying 32 people and preparing to depart for Roanoke, Virginia, made contact with the fuselage of another plane that had landed from Charlotte, North Carolina, with 61 individuals on board.
An airline crew member sustained minor wounds and was taken to a medical center, as reported by the local airport authority. No accounts of traveler harm, the company confirmed.
On-Scene Accounts
“Their right wing clipped our nose and the cockpit we have damage to our windscreen and ... some of our screens in here,” a pilot said, based on air traffic control audio.
Traveler William Lusk recounted the moment, stating, “The plane that had landed ‘stopped, jerked, and jumped to the right’. Everyone went dead silent. And as everyone went dead silent, the pilot calmly came on and said, ‘Hey, we’ve been in a crash, everyone remain calm.’”
Facility Operations and Response
The rest of the airport’s operations were not expected to be impacted, according to Delta.
“The airline is collaborating with officials to investigate the event, prioritizing the well-being of passengers and staff above everything,” the release noted. “We apologize to our customers for the experience.”
Endeavor Air was the operator of the Delta Connection planes caught up in the event.
