In a startling incident at New York's bustling LaGuardia Airport, two Delta regional jets clipped each other while taxiing late Wednesday night, leaving one aircraft with a severed wing and a flight attendant nursing minor injuries. The collision happened around 9:56 p.m., involving Endeavor Air flights operated by Delta's subsidiary—Flight 5047, fresh from Charlotte, North Carolina, and Flight 5155 preparing for takeoff. Eyewitness accounts from passengers described a jarring impact that sent everyone lurching forward, though miraculously, no serious harm came to the roughly 85 people aboard both planes.
Details emerged quickly from air traffic control chatter, revealing how the right wing of the departing jet slammed into the nose of the incoming one, shattering the cockpit windshield and damaging internal screens. One flight attendant suffered a non-life-threatening injury, treated on-site by emergency medical teams before a precautionary trip to a nearby hospital. The Port Authority confirmed the low-speed mishap occurred on a crowded taxiway, far from the runways, but it nonetheless halted operations briefly as crews swarmed the scene with flashing lights cutting through the night.
However, this wasn't just another close call at one of the nation's busiest airports. Video footage circulating online showed the grim aftermath: a detached wing section lying forlornly on the tarmac, the other plane's fuselage dented and scarred. Delta swiftly responded, deplaning all passengers and offering them hotel stays, meals, and rebooked flights within hours. Yet, the airline's statement downplayed the drama, calling it a "minor incident" amid a string of recent aviation scares that have pilots and regulators on edge.
Moreover, questions about taxiway congestion at LaGuardia—long criticized for its tight layout—immediately surfaced. The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation, probing whether human error or procedural lapses played a role. Passengers, some visibly shaken, recounted the sudden jolt during what should have been a routine post-landing roll. Indeed, while no one was gravely hurt, the event underscores the razor-thin margins in air travel.
As the probes unfold, one can't help but wonder if these ground-level brushes signal deeper strains in airport infrastructure.