Planes Collide On Tarmac Causing Flight Delays For Delta And American Airlines

Two flights from two different airlines collided Tuesday evening on the tarmac at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. The carriers told International Business Times in respective statements that the incident occurred after a Delta Air Lines plane struck an American Airlines plane Tuesday evening.

American Airlines Flight 290 to Dublin was reportedly stationary on the tarmac and awaiting departure clearance when the wing of Delta Air Lines Flight 2503 to Seattle came into contact with the tail of the other plane. The Delta Air Lines plane was attempting to maneuver around the other aircraft at the time of the collision, Forbes reported Wednesday.

“While on taxi, the wing of flight 2503 came in contact with the tail of another aircraft,” Delta Air Lines told IBT Wednesday. “The flight returned to the gate and passengers deplaned normally. We’re sorry for the inconvenience to customers.”

“The Delta at our three o’clock we are pretty sure his winglet, ran into us as he passed behind us,” the American Airlines captain reported during the collision, per a statement to IBT. “We had a big jolt, and he has a big scrape on his left wing.”

American Airlines told IBT that no passengers or crew were injured during the event. Passengers aboard the American Airlines flight were transferred to a different plane and later successfully departed.

Delta Air Lines spokeswoman Betsy Talton told Forbes that there were 160 passengers aboard its flight. The American Airlines flight reportedly carried 121 passengers.

“We’re sorry for the inconvenience to our customers,” Talton told Forbes, refusing to comment further after citing a potential federal safety investigation.

Both planes showed visible signs of damage, with photos obtained by Forbes indicating that the damage to the American Airlines craft was much more severe. Repair of the American Airlines plane could reportedly take at least a week, according to a mechanic who assessed photos of the damage for Forbes.