Two Delta-operated planes collided on the ground at New York’s LaGuardia Airport Wednesday night in a rare and tense moment that left many passengers shaken, and one crew member injured.
The incident happened at 9:58 p.m. on a taxiway, not in the air, but that didn’t make it any less frightening for the people on board. According to airport officials, two Canadair CRJ-900 regional jets—both operated by Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta—came into contact while one was departing and the other had just arrived.
One plane, Delta Connection flight 5155, was scheduled to fly to Roanoke, Virginia. The other, flight 5047, had just landed from Charlotte, North Carolina. Authorities say the wing of the departing aircraft clipped the fuselage of the arriving one.
A flight attendant was hurt in the collision and taken to the hospital as a precaution. Thankfully, no passengers were injured.
#BREAKING | NEWS
Two Delta planes have collided while texting at LaGuardia airport in New York City when a wing of one of the planes that collided detached from the plane.The flight departed from Charlotte airport, Delta flight
(#DL5047) landed and was taxiing to the… pic.twitter.com/r6pJO34shq— Todd Paron
(@tparon) What caused the planes to hit each other isn’t fully known yet, but it’s being taken seriously. Delta says it’s working closely with the FAA, the NTSB, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to investigate what happened.
For passengers on board, the night took a sudden and stressful turn.
Both planes were brought to a stop on the taxiway. Crews then evacuated all passengers and transported them back to Terminal C by bus. Delta says customers were given meals, drinks, hotel stays, and new flights where needed.
The Port Authority reported that the incident did not affect other airport operations. Flights continued normally through the night, and there was no need for emergency closures.
Delta described the crash as a “low-speed collision,” but even so, the impact was enough to ground two commercial aircraft and raise questions about how it happened—especially at one of the busiest airports in the country.
Passengers shared stories of a sudden jolt, confusion, and then long waits as crews responded.
One traveler described it as “a loud bump, then silence,” while another said they only realized something serious had happened when they saw flashing lights out the window.
Though the physical damage may have been minimal, the emotional impact is harder to measure. Anytime metal hits metal near a runway, it raises serious concerns—and not just for those involved.
Two Delta Air Lines regional aircraft collide at low speed while taxiing at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport.
Although a total of 93 people were involved in the incident, only one person, a cabin crew member, was injured.
According to reports, Endeavor flight 5155 was taxiing… pic.twitter.com/arYcTw0hGx
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) October 2, 2025
Delta says safety is their top priority and apologized to customers, promising to “review what occurred” and work to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
For now, travelers are waiting for answers. Taxiways are tightly controlled areas. So how did two jets—under ground control, at low speed—end up in the same place at the same time?
Investigators will likely be looking at ground crew communication, air traffic instructions, and the weather conditions at the time.
More details are expected in the coming days, but the question remains: could this have been avoided?
And for those on board, the night that was supposed to end with a safe arrival or a smooth takeoff became something else entirely—a reminder that even on the ground, air travel can change in a heartbeat.
