Delta Planes Collide On Atlanta Tarmac, Nearly Severing One Plane’s Tail

Two Delta planes collided on the taxiway at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Tuesday morning, causing significant damage to one of the aircraft, according to photos released.

The incident occurred as both planes were preparing for takeoff, with the wing of the larger Airbus A350 colliding with the tail of the smaller CRJ-900 jet, which was bound for Lafayette, Louisiana. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the 277 passengers on board both planes, although they had to be transported back to the terminal and rebooked on alternative flights.

Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta, operated the smaller plane, and images shared on social media show the tail folded at a 90-degree angle.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting investigations into the incident, with updates to be provided as more information becomes available.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is known as the world’s busiest airport for passenger volume, with over 104.7 million passengers passing through in 2023. It also recorded the highest number of takeoffs and landings, with 776,000 planes moving across its runways last year.