Two American Airlines planes collided while taxiing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday afternoon, prompting renewed concerns over aviation safety and ongoing staffing shortages at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
According to FAA officials, American Eagle Flight 5490 — a Bombardier CRJ900 operated by PSA Airlines and headed to Charleston, South Carolina — struck the stationary wing of American Eagle Flight 4522, an Embraer E175 operated by Republic Airways and scheduled for JFK International Airport in New York. The incident occurred around 1pm as both aircraft were moving along the taxiway.
Though no injuries were reported, the collision damaged the winglets of both planes. The aircraft returned to the terminal and were taken out of service for inspection. American Airlines later arranged alternate flights for passengers.
Notably, Flight 4522 was carrying at least seven U.S. House Representatives, including Grace Meng, Adriano Espaillat, Ritchie Torres, Gregory Meeks, Josh Gottheimer, and Nick LaLota. The lawmakers later shared their reactions online. Rep. Meeks described it as a “close call” and emphasized the urgent need for increased FAA funding. Rep. Meng, in a virtual press briefing, praised the flight crew’s professionalism but said the collision seemed like a “preventable error.”
Passenger Greg Gilligan, also aboard Flight 4522, described the impact: “I saw the plane zipping by, thinking it was going fast, when it struck the wing of our plane. It was a crazy, unbelievable experience.”
Flight 5490 had 76 passengers and four crew members onboard, while Flight 4522 was carrying 67 passengers and four crew.
The FAA has launched an investigation into the collision, which occurred amid growing concerns about airport safety. Just two months earlier, a tragic mid-air crash between an American Eagle jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National killed all 67 people onboard both aircraft.
Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine reiterated their warnings about FAA understaffing. “We are 3,000 air traffic controllers short,” Warner stated. “This is what happens when safety isn’t treated as a top priority.”
Meanwhile, the FAA is also looking into another incident earlier this week at Dulles International Airport, where a Frontier Airlines flight had to be evacuated due to a beeping sound coming from the cargo hold.
Though it's unclear whether these recent incidents are directly tied to staffing gaps or operational failures, the FAA confirmed it will continue investigating both cases thoroughly.
