An American Airlines plane carrying at least three members of Congress has struck another American Airlines plane with its wingtip on the runway at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
American Airlines Flight 5490, a Bombardier CRJ 900 bound for Charleston, South Carolina, struck American Airlines Flight 4522, an Embraer E175 bound for John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, at about 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time (18:45 p.m. CET), the FAA said.
There are no reports of injuries.
Representative Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey, said on social media that he was on a flight to New York when the incident occurred as he waited to take off from the runway.
The latest accident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will intensify scrutiny of how air traffic is handled at the airport near Washington, which has the busiest runway in the United States, according to Reuters.
The FAA will conduct an investigation.
American Airlines said both planes were en route to the terminal and were taken out of service for inspection by maintenance teams. Damage was limited to the wing on each plane.
Passengers will board replacement planes to continue their travels, American Airlines added.
There were 76 passengers and four crew members on the flight to South Carolina, and 67 passengers and four crew members on the flight to New York.
Operations at Ronald Reagan National Airport have come under intense scrutiny since the fatal collision of an American Airlines regional jet and a military helicopter on Jan. 29, which killed 67 people. That prompted the FAA to impose permanent restrictions on helicopter traffic near the airport.
The FAA announced this week that it has appointed a new management team to oversee air traffic control at Ronald Reagan Airport.
Senators pressured the FAA last month for failing to respond to thousands of reports of helicopters in dangerous proximity to planes near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Last week, the FAA said it may slow flight arrivals at Ronald Reagan Airport after the crash. It is also increasing the number of operations supervisors from six to eight, and an FAA stress management team will visit the airport to offer confidential support to staff.
On March 28, a Delta Airlines plane nearly collided with a group of US Air Force planes approaching Arlington National Cemetery, raising new safety concerns and questions about why controllers allowed the Delta plane to take off, according to Reuters.
Also, last month, a fight broke out in the control tower at Ronald Reagan Airport and one employee was arrested and placed on leave, the FAA said.
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