Two Delta Connection aircraft were involved in a low-speed collision on a taxiway at LaGuardia Airport late Wednesday night, according to officials.
The incident happened shortly before 10 p.m., the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed. Delta said the planes involved were Endeavor Air Flight 5047, which had just landed from Charlotte, North Carolina, and Endeavor Flight 5155, preparing to depart for Roanoke, Virginia. Endeavor operates as a regional subsidiary of Delta.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that Flight 5047 was taxiing to its gate when it struck Flight 5155, which had been instructed by air traffic control to hold its position. The collision occurred at the intersection of Taxiways M and A.
Delta said initial findings show that the wing of Flight 5155 clipped the fuselage of Flight 5047. A flight attendant sustained a minor injury and was treated at the scene before being transported to a hospital, according to the Port Authority.
Despite the collision, the Port Authority confirmed that airport operations were not affected.
Flight 5155 was carrying 32 people, including 28 passengers and four crew members. Flight 5047 had 61 people on board, with 57 passengers and four crew members.
One of the passengers, CBS News producer Joey Annunziato, recorded video showing damage to one of the planes. He recalled the moment of impact, saying “It was a pretty violent collision. At the time, we didn’t really know like kind of what we hit. It sounded like a sardine can opening, like something was being sheared off and, lo and behold, we looked at the right side of the plane, and the wing looked like it was almost like off the plane.”
Passengers from both flights were taken off the planes and shuttled to the terminal. Delta said those requiring accommodations would receive hotel rooms and be rebooked on Thursday flights.
In a statement, Delta added “Delta teams at our New York-LaGuardia hub are working to ensure our customers are taken care of after two Delta Connection aircraft operated by Endeavor Air were involved in a low-speed collision during taxi. Delta will work with all relevant authorities to review what occurred as safety of our customers and people comes before all else. We apologize to our customers for the experience.”
