(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Delta has shared a statement after two of its planes collided at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday (Sept. 10).
According to ABC News, Delta Air Lines Flight 295 was headed to Tokyo, while Endeavor Air Flight 5526 was headed to Louisiana. Endeavor is a subsidiary company of Delta’s.As the Delta plane began preparing to take off, it briefly collided with the smaller Endeavor plane, causing its tail to fall off. The wing of the Delta plane also sustained damage.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, this happened at around 10:10 a.m. local time.The airline, Atlanta airport, and the FAA have all confirmed that no one was hurt in the shocking incident. Additionally, there was “minimal impact” on airport operations following the incident.
In a statement cited by TMZ, Delta revealed the number of passengers impacted and its cooperation with a follow-up investigation.
“There were 221 customers on DL295 and 56 customers on DL5526. At this time, no additional operational adjustments are expected,” the airline stated. “Delta is cooperating with the NTSB and other authorities on this incident.”
According to TMZ, one passenger, Tampa meteorologist Jason Adams, was on board one of the impacted planes. Adams said that the collision involved “Metal scraping sounds then loud bangs,” but there was no fire or smoke. Despite being “very jarring,” Adams confirmed that everyone on board was “fine.”
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta is considered one of the world’s busiest airports. This is the second time in recent weeks that it has been in media headlines for a plane-related incident.
In late August, a tire explosion in a nearby maintenance shop killed two Delta employees and injured a third. Since then, more details about the victims have surfaced, including their names and ages. Delta also released a statement, offering their “full support” to the impacted families and colleagues.
