Two Boeing planes collided at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Sunday evening.
An All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight was taxiing for departure when its left winglet struck the stabilizer of a Delta Airlines flight, a spokesperson from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement to The Independent. No injuries were reported, and the incident occurred in an area “not under air traffic control,” the spokesperson said.
The collision occurred as the Delta flight “underwent final parking,” Emma Johnson, a spokesperson for Delta Airlines, said in a statement to The Independent. Delta’s passengers deplaned normally at the gate, she added, and the aircraft is undergoing inspection.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for All Nippon Airways also confirmed their passengers deplaned.
“The safety of our customers and flight crew is our top priority, and we apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers,” All Nippon Airways spokesperson Nao Gunji said in a statement to The Independent.
The FAA will investigate the incident, the organization’s spokesperson said. It is currently unclear what caused the collision between Delta’s Boeing 717 and All Nippon Airways’ Boeing 777.
A spokesperson for Boeing told The Independent they “would defer to the FAA and the airlines involved” when contacted for comment.
Boeing recently came under fire after a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max 9 mid-flight. About 171 people — including four minors and three babies — were on board the Alaska Airlines flight, as well as six crew members. The door plug blew out of the plane at 16,000 feet in the air after the plane departed Portland International Airport for California.
Passengers aboard the 5 January flight are now suing Boeing over the incident.
The collision came during a tough day for travellers across the country as yet another winter storm caused travel chaos.
966 flights arriving at or departing the Chicago O’Hare International Airport were delayed on Sunday, while 273 were cancelled, according to FlightAware. The Denver International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport also saw significant delays and cancellations amid dangerous winter weather.
