By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An American Airlines plane carrying at least three members of Congress at Reagan Washington National Airport was struck on the taxiway by the wingtip of another American Airlines jet, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday.
American Airlines flight 5490, a Bombardier CRJ 900 headed to Charleston, South Carolina, struck American flight 4522, an Embraer E175 headed to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, around 12:45 p.m. ET (1645 GMT), the FAA said. No injuries were reported.
Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, said on social media that he was on the flight to New York when the incident occurred while waiting to take off on the runway.
The latest mishap at Reagan National will intensify scrutiny over how air traffic is handled at the airport near Washington that has the single busiest U.S. runway.
The FAA will investigate. American said both aircraft taxied to the terminal and were taken out of service to be inspected by maintenance teams. The damage was limited to a winglet on each aircraft.
Passengers will board replacement aircraft to continue their trips, American added. There were 76 passengers and four crew on the South Carolina flight and 67 passengers and four crew on the New York-bound flight.
Operations at Reagan have come under intense scrutiny since a January 29 fatal collision between an American Airlines regional jet and Army helicopter, killing 67 people. It prompted the FAA to impose permanent restrictions on helicopter traffic near the airport.
The FAA said this week it installed a new management team to oversee air traffic control at Reagan National.
Senators last month pressed the FAA for failing to act on thousands of reports of helicopters in dangerous proximity to airplanes near Reagan.
Last week, the FAA said it may slow flight arrivals at Reagan after the collision. It is also increasing operational supervisor staffing from six to eight and an FAA stress management team will visit the airport offering confidential support for staff.
On March 28, a near-miss between a departing Delta Air Lines and a group of Air Force jets approaching Arlington National Cemetery triggered a cockpit collision warning for the Delta plane, leading to renewed safety concerns and raising questions about why controllers allowed the Delta plane to depart.
Also last month, a fight occurred in the Reagan air traffic control tower and an employee was arrested and placed on leave, the FAA said.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Chris Sanders and Marguerita Choy)
