The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating after a Delta Air Lines plane clipped the tail of an Air Canada jet at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Tuesday morning, damaging both aircraft.
The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. local time as Delta Flight 7 was taxiing for departure. Its left wingtip struck the horizontal stabilizer of Air Canada Flight 785, according to an official FAA statement.
The Air Canada Boeing 777 had recently arrived in Los Angeles from Toronto and was being towed toward its gate when it stopped short of the gate and was struck by the Delta aircraft, the FAA said.
Photos and aerial video from the scene showed damage to the Delta wingtip and the rear section of the Air Canada plane.
The Air Canada crew noticed the impact and contacted a ground controller. In air traffic control audio the pilot asked whether everything appeared to be okay after the crew felt a shudder.
The Delta pilot also told the controller that there appeared to be a problem with the aircraft’s wingtip.
Both aircraft were taken for inspection following the incident. Air Canada spokesperson Sean Davidson said the airline’s Boeing 777 would be removed from service for inspection and repairs, according to CNN.
The Delta Airbus A350 was also inspected by airline maintenance crews. The aircraft was scheduled to fly to Tokyo Haneda Airport with 275 passengers and 15 crew members aboard.
No injuries were reported. Firefighters who checked the aircraft also did not find any problems, according to the ATC audio.
The FAA said it is investigating the incident and referred questions about the aircraft to the airlines. The cause of the collision has not been released.
Air Canada said its aircraft would remain out of service while inspections and repairs are completed. No injuries were reported among its passengers or crew.