A couple of commuter planes belonging to Delta Air Lines experienced a collision while moving at LaGuardia airport in New York, resulting in one casualty in what the carrier called a “low-speed collision”.
Details of the Incident
According to a statement from Delta, the wing of an aircraft carrying 32 passengers and getting ready to take off for Roanoke, Virginia, made contact with the body of another plane that had arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina, with 61 people on board.
An airline crew member received non-life threatening wounds and was transported to a medical center, as stated by the local airport authority. There were no reports of traveler harm, the company confirmed.
On-Scene Reports
“Our aircraft’s nose was struck by their wing, causing damage to the windscreen and several cockpit displays,” a captain said, according to air traffic control audio.
Traveler William Lusk described the incident, saying, “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 Activities and Response
Remaining flights and services at the airport were anticipated to proceed normally, per Delta.
“Delta will work with all relevant authorities to review what occurred as safety of our customers and people comes before all else,” the release noted. “We apologize to our customers for the experience.”
The Delta Connection aircraft involved in the collision are operated by Endeavor Air.
