Photo: Al Drago / Getty Images News / Getty Images
On Thursday (April 10), an American Eagle plane's wingtip collided with another aircraft carrying several U.S. Congress members at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The incident occurred around 12:45 p.m. as American Eagle flight 5490, operated by PSA Airlines, was taxiing and hit the wing of American Eagle flight 4522, operated by Republic Airways. Flight 5490 was en route to Charleston International Airport in South Carolina, while flight 4522 was headed to JFK International Airport in New York.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that no injuries were reported, and both planes returned to their gates for inspection. Passengers, including Reps. Nick LaLota, Josh Gottheimer, and Grace Meng were unharmed and expressed relief on social media.
LaLota shared, "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!"
Meng humorously noted that she was handing out grapes while waiting on the tarmac.
The FAA is investigating the collision, and American Airlines assured that safety remains its top priority. This incident follows a tragic mid-air collision earlier this year at the same airport that resulted in fatalities. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority stated that Thursday's incident did not affect overall airport operations.