BREAKING: Planes ‘Clip Wings’ At DCA With Members Of Congress Aboard
Chaos briefly unfolded at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Thursday afternoon after two American Airlines planes clipped wings on the tarmac — with multiple members of Congress aboard.
According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, the incident took place around 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Flight 5490, which was bound for Charleston, South Carolina, was stationary when it was struck during taxiing by Flight 4522, which was headed for JFK International Airport in New York.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed that the incident had no effect on overall flight operations at DCA and that both planes returned safely to their gates. No injuries were reported.
But the near-miss has sparked concern, especially given the presence of lawmakers onboard and DCA’s growing reputation for runway mishaps.
The exchange between the pilot and air traffic control, captured by LiveATC.net, shows the moment the crew realized something was off. “BlueStreak 5490, did we hit the aircraft next to us,” the pilot is heard asking.
“We think we might have hit the (Embraer) 175 short of (runway) 19,” the pilot continued. “We just heard a loud, like a boom, like a thunk, before we took the runway.”
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) also shared his account online: “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,” he wrote. “Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok!”
Officials later confirmed that the winglet — the upturned tip of the wing that improves aerodynamic efficiency — had broken off during the contact.
“We can see a piece of a winglet on the ground behind the right wing of the Embraer,” another pilot radioed to the control tower.
Among those onboard was Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who told CNN, “Insane. Sitting there on runway and another plane hit… our wing.”
Reagan National Airport confirmed in a statement that there were no injuries and “no effect on flight operations,” as both planes returned to their gates following the incident.
This is just the latest troubling episode at DCA. Critics were quick to point out that this is the same airport where a U.S. military Blackhawk helicopter collided with a commercial plane several years ago — a disaster that claimed more than 60 lives.
This is a developing story…
