FAA launches investigation after Delta aircraft collides with Air Canada plane: What happened at Los Angeles International Airport?

The wing of a Delta Air Lines plane taxiing for departure struck the tail of an Air Canada jet at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Tuesday morning (October 6). Delta Flight 7's left wingtip clipped the horizontal stabilizer of Air Canada Flight 785 as it was being towed to its gate after landing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement. The incident took place around 10:30 am PT, FAA Public Affairs Specialist Donnell Evans told USA Today. The FAA has launched an investigation into the incident.

Delta issues statement

Pictures from the scene posted on social media showed minor damage to the wingtip and tail of the two aircraft. The Air Canada plane, a Boeing 777, had just arrived from Toronto. An airline spokesperson confirmed the incident in a statement to CNN, saying that the aircraft would be taken off service for inspection and repairs.


The Delta plane, an Airbus A350, is also being inspected by the airline's maintenance crew. The jet was scheduled to fly to Tokyo, Japan, with 275 passengers and 15 crew members on board. "Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologize to our customers for the experience and delay in their travels," Delta Air Lines said in a statement.

No injuries reported

"We just felt a shudder there. Is everything looking ok?" the Air Canada pilot asked a ground controller in audio recorded by ATC.com. "It looks like we are having an issue with the wing tip," the Delta pilot told the controller. "I don’t know if you can see from your position."

No injuries were reported and firefighters who inspected the planes did not find any problems, as per the ATC audio. Flights at the Los Angeles airport continued to operate normally.

Delta saw major scare last month

The incident comes just weeks after a Delta flight carrying more than 170 passengers and six crew members dived roughly 27,000 feet in about 10 minutes after suffering a cabin pressurization issue. The incident, which took place on September 6, forced an emergency diversion to Las Vegas.

The Boeing 737-900ER was traveling from the Los Angeles International Airport to Salt Lake City in Utah, when the failure occurred. The plane landed safely at Harry Reid International Airport, and travelers deboarded normally, with Delta arranging a replacement aircraft for their scheduled journey to Salt Lake City.