A group of at least six congressional representatives from New York and New Jersey were on a plane Thursday afternoon that was hit by another aircraft while taxiing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — the same airport where a deadly mid-air crash claimed 67 lives on January 29.
“Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences … like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing,” Suffolk County Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) wrote on X Thursday. “Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok!”
“(And ⁦@RepGraceMeng is handing out grapes!)” he added, giving a shout-out to his colleague, Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) from Queens.
Joining them on the flight were four other Democratic lawmakers from the region — Reps. Adriano Espaillat, Ritchie Torres, and Gregory Meeks from New York, as well as Rep. Josh Gottheimer from New Jersey. The trip coincided with the beginning of a two-week congressional recess for Passover and Easter.
Meng, speaking to The New York Post, said she was “still hoping” to attend a memorial later that day honoring former Hudson Valley Rep. Nita Lowey, who passed away on March 15 at the age of 87.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it has launched an inquiry into the incident, which occurred at 12:45 p.m. on a taxiway. The American Airlines plane carrying the legislators, en route to JFK, was clipped by another American Airlines-operated aircraft — a Bombardier CRJ900 headed to Charleston, SC.
“American Eagle flight 5490, operated by PSA Airlines, made contact on a DCA taxiway with American Eagle flight 4522, operated by Republic Airways. Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience,” said a spokesperson for American Airlines.
Following the incident, both planes were removed from service due to winglet damage. They underwent inspections and maintenance before being cleared for future flights, according to the airline.
No passengers were hurt, and airport operations continued without further disruption, a DCA official confirmed.
There were at least 143 people on board the two aircraft involved.
Meng later recounted her experience over Zoom, saying, “I’ve been flying for over ten years to Washington. This has never happened to me.”
“We suddenly felt some shaking. The staff and the crew were very professional and kept everything orderly, calm and safe,” she said. “Some of the passengers said that they literally saw it clip the plane. And a little piece fell off, as you can see in the back. They’re fixing it right now. And they’re providing a different, new plane for us to fly back to New York.”
Gottheimer used the event to criticize what he described as dangerous budget reductions at the FAA. “Recent cuts to the FAA weaken our skies and public safety,” he posted on X after the accident.
“While waiting to take off on the runway at DCA just now, another plane struck our wing. Thankfully, everyone is safe,” he wrote.
Meng also weighed in on the broader implications of the event, referring to growing concerns about air safety and the FAA’s staffing levels following the January tragedy at the same airport.
“Glad my colleagues and I are okay! We are safely waiting on the tarmac, but we may need more snacks,” she joked in a post on X. “I’m grateful no one was hurt today, but this incident underscores this urgent need [to] restore all FAA jobs that keep our runways safe.”
A spokesperson for LaLota said the congressman “intends to bring this firsthand experience to his work in Congress, advocating for stronger aviation oversight and enhanced public safety to help prevent similar incidents in the future.”
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is considered one of the busiest and most intricate airspaces in the country. Experts say this complexity contributed to January’s devastating crash between a commercial jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter — the deadliest American aviation disaster since 2001.
In the aftermath of that tragedy, officials implemented some changes, including altering a helicopter route that previously crossed the airport’s landing approach. Yet since then, DCA has continued to see a number of troubling close calls.
On March 29, a Delta flight carrying 136 people nearly collided during its departure with four Northrop T38 Talons — a military aircraft group scheduled to perform a ceremonial flyover at Arlington National Cemetery.
Just one day later, a United Airlines jet struck a kite upon landing. Aviation experts warned that if the kite had been sucked into the engine, the consequences could have been severe.
{Matzav.com}