2 Planes Bump Wings At D.C.'s Reagan National Airport

At least six members of Congress were aboard a passenger jet whose wing was clipped by another plane as it awaited takeoff at D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Reps. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) all shared on social media that they were on board the flight that got side-swiped. Meng told The New York Times that Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) was also aboard, and Meeks indicated there was one more member of Congress seated.

In a video post, Meng said everyone was safe.

“Hi everyone, I’m OK. Everyone on the flight is OK. They’re fixing the wing now. Everyone’s safe,” Meng said.

“While waiting to take off on the runway at DCA just now, another plane struck our wing. Thankfully, everyone is safe. Just a reminder: Recent cuts to the FAA weaken our skies and public safety,” Gottheimer wrote, noting that the Trump administration fired hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees in February.

Meng echoed that in another post, saying: “I’m grateful no one was hurt today, but this incident underscores this urgent need restore all FAA jobs that keep our runways safe.”

Meeks made a similar plea in his post, saying the “close call underscores the urgent need for more FAA funding—people’s lives are at stake.”

LaLota shared a lighthearted update.

“Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences…” he wrote, adding that on the upside, Meng was “handing out grapes!”

The FAA confirmed in a statement that the wingtip of American Airlines Flight 5490, which was bound for Charleston, South Carolina, struck American Airlines Flight 4522, which was bound for New York, on the runway just before 1 p.m. local time.

Air traffic control audio captured on LiveATC.net showed the pilot of the Charleston-bound flight saying: “We just heard a loud, like a boom, like a thunk, before we took the runway.”

Reagan National Airport was the site of a mid-air collision between a passenger jet and a helicopter in January, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft.