Two American Airlines regional jets clipped wings on a taxiway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday, with at least seven members of Congress among the passengers.
No injuries were reported in the incident, which damaged the winglets on both aircraft, according to a statement from American Airlines to NTD News, sister media of The Epoch Times.
“Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience,” American Airlines stated.
At least seven members of Congress were aboard Flight 4522, the New York-bound plane, when the accident occurred. Several of the lawmakers took to social media to report their experiences.
“While stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing. Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok!” LaLota posted, adding that Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) was “handing out grapes” to fellow passengers after the accident.
American Airlines reported that Flight 5490 was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members, while Flight 4522 had 67 passengers and four crew members. After the collision, both planes returned to the terminal and were taken out of service for inspection by maintenance teams.
The airline arranged for replacement aircraft to continue the passengers’ flights to their respective destinations, according to the company’s statement.
The FAA has launched an investigation into the incident.
Recent deadly aviation incidents have raised safety concerns, especially after an Army helicopter collided midair with an American Airlines regional jet descending for a landing on Jan. 29, killing 67 people at the same airport.
According to data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the number of plane crashes in 2025 remains consistent with past years, with 153 accidents so far this year, 130 of them non-fatal and 23 fatal—as of the latest data updated—for commercial flights in the United States.
