An American Airlines plane struck another American Airlines plane with its wing while taxiing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. There were no reports of casualties, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported.
The incident occurred last night at around 18:45 Bulgarian time, when the plane, preparing for a flight to South Carolina, struck a plane bound for New York with its wing. According to the airline, there were 4 crew members and 76 passengers on board the first plane, and 4 crew members and 67 passengers on board the second.
The colliding planes, a Bombardier CRJ 900 and an Embraer E175, were taken for technical inspection. The FAA said the incident did not affect airport operations.
According to The Washington Post, Congressmen Nick Lalotta and Grace Meng were on board one of the planes. ABC News reports that Congressman Josh Gottheimer was also on board. Lalotta told ABC News that the plane he was on "was hit on the right wing." He said the impact was followed by a loud noise. He added that he saw the wing "shaking" through the window. Gottheimer said that "the plane shook a lot." "It was pretty clear we were hit," he added.
Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington remains under heightened surveillance after an American Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near the airport on January 29. After the collision, both machines crashed into the Potomac River. All 64 people on board the plane died, as well as three military personnel in the helicopter, the Washington Post recalls.