An American Airlines plane carrying at least three members of the United States Congress has been struck on the taxiway by the wingtip of another American Airlines jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says.
American Airlines Flight 5490, a Bombardier CRJ 900 headed to Charleston, South Carolina, struck American Flight 4522, an Embraer E175 headed to New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport, about 12:45pm (16:45 GMT) on Thursday, the FAA said. No injuries were reported.
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Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, said on social media that he was on the flight to New York when the incident occurred while waiting to take off on the runway.
The latest mishap at Reagan National will intensify scrutiny over how air traffic is handled at the airport just outside Washington, DC, which has the single busiest US runway.
The FAA will investigate. American Airlines said both aircraft taxied to the terminal and were taken out of service to be inspected by maintenance teams. The damage was limited to a winglet on each aircraft.
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Passengers will board replacement aircraft to continue their trips, American added.
There were 76 passengers and four crew members on the South Carolina-bound flight and 67 passengers and four crew on the New York-bound flight.
Operations at Reagan in Arlington, Virginia, have come under intense scrutiny since a fatal January 29 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and US army helicopter, killing 67 people. It prompted the FAA to impose permanent restrictions on helicopter traffic near the airport.
The FAA said this week that it installed a new management team to oversee air traffic control at Reagan National.
Senators last month pressed the FAA for failing to act on thousands of reports of helicopters in dangerous proximity to airplanes near Reagan.
Last week, the FAA said it may slow flight arrivals at Reagan after the collision. It is also increasing operational supervisor staffing from six to eight, and an FAA stress management team will visit the airport to offer confidential support for staff.
On March 28, a near-miss between a Delta Air Lines plane departing Reagan National and a group of air force jets approaching Arlington National Cemetery triggered a cockpit collision warning for the Delta plane, leading to renewed safety concerns and raising questions about why controllers allowed the Delta plane to depart.
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Also last month, a fight occurred in the Reagan air traffic control tower, and an employee was arrested and placed on leave, the FAA said.
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