An aircraft’s wingtip hit another plane at Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport on Thursday afternoon.
Two regional American Airlines jets bumped wings while on the taxiway around 12:45 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. One flight was en route to Charleston, South Carolina, while the other was heading to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
At least three members of Congress appear to have been on board one of the flights, according to social media posts. No injuries have been reported.
Representative Nick LaLota posted about the incident on X: “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.”
“Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok,” he added. “(And [Representative Grace Meng] is handing out grapes!)”
Meng, who represents Queens, New York, replied to LaLota’s post confirming her and her colleagues are okay.
“I’m grateful no one was hurt today, but this incident underscores this urgent need restore all FAA jobs that keep our runways safe,” she wrote.
Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey was also on board. He told ABC News that the “plane shook violently” and “it was pretty clear that we got hit.”
“The pilot came on and told us we weren’t going anywhere except back to the gate,” he added.
American Airlines said in a statement the “the damage was limited to a winglet on each aircraft” and each plane has been “taken out of service to be inspected.”
On January 29, an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter collided above the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport. All 64 people on board the American Airlines jet and the three people on board the Black Hawk helicopter died.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
