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Two Delta Air Lines regional jets were involved in a "low-speed collision" at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday night, leaving one flight attendant injured.
The incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. when a jet bound for Roanoke, Virginia, with 32 people on board, clipped the fuselage of another aircraft that had just arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina, carrying 61 people. Both planes were Delta Connection CRJ-900s operated by Endeavor Air.
According to air traffic control recordings, a pilot reported, "Their right wing clipped our nose and the cockpit we have damage to our windscreen and ... some of our screens in here." Photos and videos posted online showed a shattered cockpit window, heavy nose damage, and part of a wing ripped off.
A flight attendant sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed. No passengers were hurt, though several described the moment as shocking. William Lusk, a passenger on the Charlotte flight, told ABC News that his plane "stopped, jerked, and jumped to the right," adding, "Everyone went dead silent. And as everyone went dead silent, the pilot calmly came on and said, 'Hey, we've been in a crash, everyone remain calm.'"
Another traveller, CBS News producer Joey Annunziato, said from inside the cabin, "We got absolutely smashed by another Delta flight. I don't know if we hit them or they hit us, but it was super jarring. Everyone shot forward in their seats, and it was kind of a little chaotic as soon as it happened."
Despite the severity of the impact, Delta said other airport operations were unaffected. Emergency crews quickly arrived at the scene to assist passengers and staff. All passengers were safely escorted off the aircraft and shuttled back to the terminal.
Delta issued an apology and promised to cooperate fully with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, which are both investigating the cause. "Delta will work with all relevant authorities to review what occurred as safety of our customers and people comes before all else," the airline said. "We apologize to our customers for the experience."
