Two Delta Air Lines regional jets collided at the intersection of two taxiways at LaGuardia Airport in New York, injuring a flight attendant, damaging a cockpit, and tearing off part of a wing, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported Thursday.

The NTSB said it sent a team of 10 investigators to the airport after the collision, which occurred Wednesday night. Flight recorders from both airplanes have already been recovered and sent to the agency’s headquarters for analysis.

It wasn’t immediately clear who was at fault. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that air traffic control had instructed the Virginia-bound plane “to hold short and yield to the other aircraft” before the collision.

According to a statement from Delta, an aircraft carrying 32 people was preparing for takeoff to Roanoke, Virginia, when its wing made contact with the fuselage of an aircraft arriving from Charlotte, North Carolina, with 61 people aboard. The airline described the incident as a “low-speed collision” but did not provide the exact speeds, citing that the information is “germane to the open and ongoing investigation.”

A passenger video appeared to show one plane moving at a considerable speed when the collision occurred.

One flight attendant was taken to a hospital, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Audio posted by www.LiveATC.net revealed that one of the pilots told the control tower the flight attendant reported hitting her knee during the collision.

There were no reports of passenger injuries, the airline confirmed.

“Their right wing clipped our nose and the cockpit. We have damage to our windscreen and … some of our screens in here,” one pilot said, according to air traffic control audio.

Images of the damage showed a broken wing on one plane, while the other had a shattered cockpit window and a deeply gouged nose.

A passenger aboard the landed plane, William Lusk, described the moment to ABC: “The plane stopped, jerked, and jumped to the right. Everyone went dead silent. And as everyone went dead silent, the pilot calmly came on and said, ‘Hey, we’ve been in a crash, everyone remain calm.’”

Incidents like this add to growing concerns about aviation safety following recent crashes and near misses. One such event includes the deadliest plane crash in the United States in decades when an Army helicopter collided with an airliner preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Former NTSB and FAA crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti explained that while ground controllers line up planes on taxiways and direct their movements, pilots are expected to maintain situational awareness and avoid other aircraft as they taxi at slow speeds. Controllers primarily focus on keeping runways clear for takeoffs and landings.

“You’re supposed to have situational awareness about where your wings are poking out at and what they could hit as you’re taxiing,” said Guzzetti, who is now an aviation safety consultant. “They (controllers) expect the flight crews to see each other since they’re taxiing at a slow speed. And the controller’s main function is to make sure the runway is clear for takeoff and landings.”

Since the collision occurred at night, and planes often turn off their nose lights while taxiing, it may have been more difficult for the pilots to see exactly where the other aircraft was located, Guzzetti noted. Typically, a plane’s taxi lights are on the wings, while the landing lights improve visibility and help other pilots see the aircraft. The FAA advises pilots to use landing lights carefully to avoid impairing other pilots’ night vision.

In a statement, Delta said, “Delta will work with all relevant authorities to review what occurred as safety of our customers and people comes before all else. We apologize to our customers for the experience.”

The Delta Connection aircraft involved in the collision were operated by Endeavor Air. Both planes are CRJ-900 models, which can seat between 70 and 90 passengers, according to the FAA, which is investigating the incident alongside the NTSB.

LaGuardia Airport is one of 35 major airports where the FAA has installed advanced surface radar systems designed to track aircraft and vehicles on the ground and alert controllers to potential conflicts. It is unclear what role this system played in the collision.

Guzzetti expressed uncertainty about whether the system would have sounded an audible alarm for these planes on a taxiway, noting that its primary purpose is to prevent collisions on runways, even though it displays all aircraft on the ground.

Following the incident, passengers on both planes were provided meals and hotel accommodations and were rebooked on flights departing on Thursday.

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Associated Press writers Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Hallie Golden in Seattle; and Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland, contributed to this report.
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