Two Delta Jets Collide on LaGuardia Airport Runway

A disturbing incident unfolded late Wednesday at New York’s LaGuardia Airport when two regional jets operated by Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, were involved in a “low-speed collision” on a taxiway. The mishap, which occurred at approximately 9:58 pm (0158 GMT Thursday), resulted in one flight attendant sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.

Dependable NG reports that the two aircraft involved were Endeavor Air Flight 5047, which had just arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina, with 61 people aboard, and Endeavor Air Flight 5155, which was preparing for departure to Roanoke, Virginia, carrying 32 people. Initial information from Delta indicates that the wing of the outbound plane, Flight 5155, made contact with the fuselage and nose section of the arriving aircraft, Flight 5047, while taxiing.

The severity of the impact was evidenced by damage captured in images and described in pilot reports. A pilot from the arriving aircraft was heard on air traffic control audio stating, “Their right wing clipped our nose and the cockpit. We have damage to our windscreen and some of our screens in here.” Passengers on the Charlotte flight reported a “super jarring” impact, with one saying the plane “stopped, jerked, and jumped to the right” upon collision. Miraculously, no passengers were reported injured, though one flight attendant was transported to a local hospital for evaluation of minor injuries.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have both initiated investigations. According to the FAA, the collision occurred at the intersection of two taxiways. Pertinent details emerging from the investigation include air traffic control audio, which reportedly shows that the Virginia-bound plane, Flight 5155, had been instructed “to hold short and yield to the other aircraft” before the collision. The NTSB dispatched a team of investigators and has already recovered the flight recorders from both CRJ-900 jets for analysis in Washington.

Despite the damage to the two regional jets, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that overall operations at LaGuardia, one of the nation’s busiest airports, were not interrupted. Delta has stated that it is cooperating fully with all relevant authorities to review the safety measures surrounding the incident, emphasizing that the safety of its customers and personnel remains its highest priority.