A ground collision occurred on Tuesday morning at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) when a departing passenger jet operated by Delta Air Lines struck an Air Canada aircraft while taxiing across the airfield. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials confirmed that the incident took place at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time, noting that it did not involve an active runway or an in-flight emergency.
According to the FAA and airline representatives, Delta Air Lines Flight 7 was taxiing for departure toward Tokyo’s Haneda Airport when its left wingtip clipped the horizontal stabilizer of an Air Canada aircraft. The Air Canada flight, designated as Flight 785, had just arrived from Toronto and was being towed toward its designated arrival gate at the time of the impact.
Aircraft Damage and Passenger Details
Visual evidence and eyewitness reports from the tarmac indicated that the impact caused noticeable structural damage to both commercial airliners. A piece of the Delta plane’s winglet-the curved upper section of the wing-was sheared off during the collision and remained visibly lodged inside the tail stabilizer of the Air Canada jet.
Delta Air Lines confirmed that its aircraft, an Airbus A350-900, was carrying 275 passengers and 15 crew members at the time of the incident. Following the collision, both airlines announced that their respective aircraft were taken out of service to undergo thorough safety inspections and structural repairs by maintenance crews.
While taxiing at Los Angeles International Airport, a Delta aircraft made contact with an Air Canada aircraft. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologize to our customers for the experience and delay in their travels. – Delta Air Lines Spokesperson
Eyewitness Accounts and Airport Operations
Passengers and aviation observers near the airfield shared accounts of the unexpected collision. Jayson Lowe, chief executive of Ascendant Financial Inc., was on board a separate flight that had just landed at LAX when he witnessed the event from his window. He noted that the Delta aircraft made contact with the Air Canada vehicle on the taxiway.
Despite the disruption, airport officials confirmed that standard operations at LAX continued with minimal interruption. Air traffic control experienced minor gate holds and brief taxi delays of 15 minutes or less following the event. No injuries to passengers or flight crew members on either plane were reported in the immediate aftermath.
Investigation Underway
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been notified and are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the taxiway collision. Both Delta Air Lines and Air Canada stated they are fully cooperating with federal authorities to determine how spatial awareness or movement coordination failures contributed to the incident on the airfield.
