Atlanta: A serious collision occurred at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport involving a Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-941 and a Delta Connection Bombardier CRJ-900LR, operated by Endeavor Air. The incident took place as the A350, operating as flight DL295 bound for Tokyo-Haneda, was taxiing out when its wing struck the tail of the CRJ-900, flight DL5526, which was preparing for departure to LaFayette, Louisiana, on an adjacent taxiway.
The impact resulted in significant damage to both aircraft, with the CRJ-900 suffering severe damage to its vertical and horizontal stabilizers, which were severed from the fuselage. The Airbus A350 sustained damage to its wing.
Delta Air Lines confirmed the collision, noting that both aircraft were on adjacent taxiways when the A350’s wing made contact with the CRJ-900’s tail. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among passengers or crew members on either aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been notified and are expected to investigate the incident.
Both aircraft have been taken out of service for a detailed inspection and repairs. Delta Air Lines stated that passenger safety is their top priority and they are working closely with authorities to understand the cause of the accident. The airline is making arrangements for affected passengers to continue their journeys with minimal disruption.
The incident underscores the challenges of managing aircraft movements at one of the world’s busiest airports, and an investigation will aim to determine how the collision occurred to prevent similar incidents in the future.
There have been no reported injuries and customers are being transported back to the terminal where they will be reaccommodated on alternate flights.
There were 221 customers on DL295 and 56 customers on DL5526. At this time, no additional operational adjustments are expected.
Delta says it is cooperating with the NTSB and other authorities on the incident.