(WASHINGTON) — The wingtip of an American Airlines plane hit another American Airlines plane on a taxiway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
No one was hurt, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said. Both planes returned to gates and airport operations weren’t impacted, the agency said.
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., tweeted that his plane was “stationary on the runway” when another plane “bumped into our wing.”
“Thankfully everyone is ok!” he added.
“The plane shook violently,” Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., another member of Congress on the flight, told ABC News Live. “It was pretty clear that we got hit.”
“The pilot came on and told us we weren’t going anywhere except back to the gate,” he said.
“This is not a time to be cutting the FAA[‘s jobs] when they’re understaffed already,” he said, calling it “deeply concerning.”
Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., who was also on the flight, agreed with Gottheimer, writing on social media, “I’m grateful no one was hurt today, but this incident underscores this urgent need restore all FAA jobs that keep our runways safe.”
The representatives’ flight was headed to JFK International Airport in New York. The other plane was headed to Charleston, South Carolina.
The FAA said it’s investigating.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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