At least one person was injured on Wednesday night when two Delta Airlines regional jets collided on the ground at LaGuardia Airport in New York.
The incident happened during taxiing, which is when planes are moving slowly on the runway or taxiway before takeoff or after landing.
According to reports, the collision occurred shortly after 19:30 local time (01:30 Thursday SAST).
Authorities described it as a “low-speed” crash, meaning the aircraft were moving very slowly when they hit each other. Still, the impact caused damage and led to at least one passenger injury.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson confirmed that the incident involved two Delta Connection flights.
One plane’s wing struck the other aircraft’s tail section as both were preparing for departure.
“Safety is our number one priority, and we are cooperating fully with the FAA’s investigation,” Delta said in a statement.
Emergency crews responded immediately, and passengers were escorted safely off the planes. The injured passenger was treated for minor injuries. No other serious injuries were reported.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA are now investigating the cause of the collision.
Both agencies typically review the flight data, maintenance records, and the actions of ground crews and pilots before concluding what went wrong.
For passengers at LaGuardia Airport, the crash added to an already stressful travel evening. Flights at the busy New York hub were briefly delayed as authorities worked to secure the area and move the damaged aircraft.
Normal operations resumed later in the night.
Delta apologised to those affected, saying they would be rebooked on alternative flights.
The airline stressed that its teams were “working to get customers to their destinations as quickly and safely as possible.”