Two American Airlines jets clip wings on ground at Reagan airport

Two American Airlines jets collided on the ground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. This incident occurred just three months after a deadly crash nearby.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported that one aircraft's wingtip struck another on the taxiway. Six members of Congress were aboard one of the jets.

Nick LaLota, a Republican from New York, said no one was hurt. He described how their stationary plane was "bumped" by another jet.

On January 29, sixty-seven people died when an Army helicopter collided with a jetliner at the same airport.

LaLota shared his experience on X, saying: "While stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing." He added that they were heading back to the gate and everyone was okay.

Grace Meng, a Democrat from New York, was also on board. She handed out grapes to passengers and expressed gratitude that no one was hurt.

Other lawmakers aboard included Gregory Meeks and Josh Gottheimer, both Democrats. They confirmed that Adriano Espaillat and Ritchie Torres were also on the flight.

The FAA stated that American Airlines Flight 5490 struck Flight 4522 around 12:45 PM local time. Flight 5490 was headed to Charleston International Airport in South Carolina. Flight 4522 was bound for JFK International Airport in New York. The FAA will investigate further.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport confirmed there was no impact on flight operations. Both aircraft returned to their gates without injuries reported.

American Airlines noted that 76 customers were aboard Flight 5490 and 67 on Flight 4522. The airline emphasized that safety is their top priority and apologized for the incident.

Both aircraft taxied to the terminal for inspection by maintenance teams. Damage was limited to a winglet on each plane.

An investigation is ongoing into January's deadly crash involving an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk helicopter. The cause remains unknown, but preliminary reports suggest banning some helicopter operations near the airport may be necessary.