TWO planes carrying multiple members of Congress have collided at Washington National Airport.
The collision happened at around 12:45 pm when a plane clipped the wing of a second aircraft preparing to take off, the FAA confirmed.
New York Representative Nick LaLota, who was on Flight 4522 to JFK, said the plane he was on was parked when another jet suddenly struck its wing while taxiing.
“Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences… like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing,” the Congressman posted on X.
“Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok! (And @RepGraceMeng is handing out grapes!).”
New York Democratic representative Grace Meng replied: “Glad my colleagues and I are okay! We are safely waiting on the tarmac, but we may need more snacks.”
He also shared a photo from his window showing the other aircraft stopped on the tarmac, just feet away.
“The wingtip of American Airlines Flight 5490 struck American Airlines Flight 4522 on a taxiway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport around 12:45 p.m. local time on Thursday, April 10,” the Federal Aviation Administration told The U.S. Sun.
“Flight 5490, a Bombardier CRJ 900, was headed to Charleston International Airport in South Carolina. Flight 4522, an Embraer E175, was headed to JFK International Airport in New York.
“The FAA will investigate. Please contact the airline for additional information.”
American Airlines confirmed to The U.S. Sun that there were no injuries, and 67 customers and four crew members were aboard the congress members’ flight to JFK.
There were 76 customers and four crew members on the flight to Charleston.
They will board replacement aircraft to continue their trips.
“Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience,” the airline wrote in an email.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport noted that both planes returned to the gates, and there was no effect on flight operations.
New Jersey Democratic Representative Josh Gottheimer said he was on the flight to JFK also.
“While waiting to take off on the runway at DCA just now, another plane struck our wing. Thankfully, everyone is safe,” he wrote.
Glad my colleagues and I are okay! We are safely waiting on the tarmac, but we may need more snacks.
New York Democratic representative Grace Meng
“Just a reminder: Recent cuts to the FAA weaken our skies and public safety.”
CALLS FOR CHANGE
Other congressmen aboard the plane took to social media to share that they’re safe and demand change in the aviation industry.
“I am safe after another plane clipped our wing while on the runway at DCA,” democratic New York representative Gregory Meeks posted on X.
“This close call underscores the urgent need for more FAA funding—people’s lives are at stake. Cuts and firing FAA employees are not the answer.
“Seven members of Congress were on board along with dozens of other concerned passengers.”
Recent 'cluster' of plane crashes
A number of recent plane crashes in the US have left Americans terrified of traveling by air.
However, aviation expert and attorney Jason Matzus told The U.S. Sun the crashes can be attributed to “random clustering.”
“While these events are tragic, the likely explanation is simply ‘random clustering,’ which occurs when multiple crashes occur over a short period, warping our general perception and causing us to think that there is an increasing trend in plane crashes,” Matzus said.
“When in reality these crashes, despite being so close together, are merely coincidental and not caused by a systemic safety issue.”
The short period Matzus is referring to is just a matter of three weeks. The recent aviation mishaps include:
January 29– A military helicopter and American Airlines plane collided at the Washington DC airport and killed 67 people
January 31– An air ambulance carrying a six-year-old girl and her mom crashed onto a street in Philadelphia, killing seven people in total
February 5– A Japan Airlines flight hit a parked Delta plane at Seattle SeaTac Airport and no one was injured
February 6– A small commuter plane on its way to Nome, Alaska, crashed and killed all 10 people on board
February 10– Motley Crue singer Vince Neil’s private jet collided into another plane, killing the pilot and injuring four others
February 17– A Delta plane crashed onto the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport, miraculously killing no one but injuring 21
February 19– Two planes collided at Marana Airport in Arizona, killing two people
February 24– Smoke filled a Delta Airlines flight cabin, forcing passengers to evacuate by an emergency slide after making an emergency landing in Atlanta.
March 9– A Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft crashed into a retirement village parking lot in Manheim, Pennsylvania.
March 13– An American Airlines’ jet engine erupted into flames at the Denver airport, forcing passengers to escape onto the plane’s wing.
The congressman’s plea for change follows the Trump administration’s firing of hundreds of FAA personnel, PBS reported.
Democratic New York Representative Adriano Espaillat echoed Meeks’ statement, calling out Trump for “reckless decisions.”
“This afternoon, several members of Congress, including myself and other passengers, were involved in a minor incident where our plane clipped wings with another aircraft while taxiing at Ronald Reagan National Airport,” Espaillat posted.
“Aviation mishaps are at an all-time high, and the Trump administration’s reckless decision to fire FAA control staff has put us all in danger. We are thankful that no one was injured and that a catastrophe was avoided.”
DEADLY DISASTERS
The call for change comes just a few months after a mid-air collision killed 64 passengers and three helicopter members flying into DC.
The collision occurred between an American Airlines plane and Black Hawk helicopter.
The American Airlines flight headed to Washington DC from Wichita, Kansas, after an elite training camp at the US ice skating championships had just ended.
Several victims of the crash were child ice skaters and world-class athletes.
The collision is the deadliest crash in the US since November 2001, when 260 people died after an American Airlines plane plunged into a New York City neighborhood.
In the years leading up to January’s collision, it has been revealed that there have been over 15,000 close calls between commercial flights and helicopters at the DC airport.
“We remain concerned about the significant potential for a future mid-air collision at DCA, which is why we are recommending a permanent solution today,” Jennifer Homendy, the National Transportation Safety Board chair, said during a March press conference.
In March, an American Airlines flight burst into flames at the Denver airport.
The flight, which left from Colorado Springs, was diverted to Denver instead of its planned destination of Dallas after the side of the plane went up in flames.
Washington DC plane crash victims
A mid-air collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and a military helicopter on January 29, 2025, left dozens presumed dead. The victims include:
- Captain Jonathan Campos, 34
- First Officer Samuel Lilley, 28
- Flight attendant Ian Epstein, 53
- Flight attendant Danasia Brown
- Spencer Lane, 16
- Christine Lane, 49
- Jinna Han, 13
- Jin Han
- Evgenia Shishkova, 52
- Vadim Naumov, 55
- Alexandr Kirsanov
- Angela Yang
- Sean Kay
- Peter Livingston
- Donna Smojice Livingston
- Everly Livingston, 14
- Alydia Livingston, 11
- Inna Volyanskaya
- Brielle Beyer, 12,
- Justyna Magdalena Beyer
- Olivia Eve Ter, 12
- Asra Hussain Raza, 26
- Michael Stovall, 40
- Jesse Pitcher, 30
- Elizabeth Anne Keys, 33
- Wendy Jo Shaffer
- Kiah Duggins
- Casey Crafton
- Lori Schrock, 56
- Robert Schrock, 58
- Vikesh Patel
- Grace Maxwell, 20
- Black Hawk Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara, 28
- Black Hawk Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39
Initially, the flight’s pilot wasn’t too concerned about the fire as she told air traffic controllers that they just had “a high engine vibration” causing them to go slower than usual.
However, two minutes later, a crew member came over the radio saying: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! Mayday! … engine fire!”
Terrifying footage from the fire shows passengers standing on the wing of the plane waiting to evacuate as clouds of black smoke surround them.
All 172 passengers and six crew members were safely evacuated.
No serious injuries were reported, but 12 people were taken to the hospital for minor conditions.
“After landing safely and taxiing to the gate at Denver International Airport (DEN), American Airlines Flight 1006 experienced an engine-related issue,” the airline said in a statement.
“We thank our crew members, team and first responders for their quick and decisive action with the safety of everyone on board and on the ground as the priority.”