A plane carrying five members of the U.S. House of Representatives was clipped by another aircraft on the ground at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., on Thursday, officials said.
U.S. Reps. Nick LaLota, R-NY, Grace Meng, D-NY, and Josh Gottheimer, D-NJ, all confirmed to NBC News they were aboard the American Airlines plane that was clipped at about 12:45 p.m.
Two of those lawmakers also confirmed that U.S. Reps Adriano Espaillat and Ritchie Torres, both Democrats from New York, were also aboard that craft.
Both planes were connected to American Airlines, the FAA and airline both said.
“American Eagle flight 5490, operated by PSA Airlines, made contact on a DCA taxiway with American Eagle flight 4522, operated by Republic Airways,” American Airlines said in a statement. “Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.”
There were no injuries, the airline said.
Flight 5490, headed for Charleston, South Carolina, was carrying 76 customers and four crew members while Flight 4522, bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport, had 67 travelers and four crew.
“While waiting to take off on the runway at DCA just now, another plane struck our wing,” Gottheimer said in a statement posted to X. “Thankfully, everyone is safe. Just a reminder: Recent cuts to the FAA weaken our skies and public safety.”
An American Eagle jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter collided in the air over DCA on Jan. 29, killing all 67 people aboard both crafts.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
