Travel
DELTA A350 CLIPS AIR CANADA B777
At Los Angeles, LAX
(Source: Unknown Source/Social Media )
The aircraft involved was a Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-941, registration N512DN, operating Flight DL7 from Los Angeles to Tokyo-Haneda, and an Air Canada Boeing 777-233LR, registration C-FIVK, operating Flight AC785 from Toronto to Los Angeles.
According to the FAA, the incident occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time while Delta Flight DL7 was taxiing for departure. The Delta A350's left wingtip struck the horizontal stabilizer of the Air Canada 777, which had arrived from Toronto and was being towed toward its gate after landing. The Air Canada aircraft had reportedly stopped short of the gate when the contact occurred.
There were no reported injuries among passengers or crew. Delta Flight DL7 was carrying 275 passengers and 15 crew members at the time of the collision.
The FAA and NTSB have been notified, and the circumstances surrounding the ground collision remain under investigation.
The incident highlights the importance of ground movement control, wingtip clearance, situational awareness and coordination between flight crews, ground personnel and towing operations when maneuvering large widebody aircraft in congested airport environments.
A passenger on the Delta flight said the jet was taxiing when the Air Canada aircraft, pushing back from its gate, made contact. No injuries have been reported on either aircraft. Both flights have been delayed and the airplanes taken out of service for inspection.
Liability for this article lies with the author, who also holds the copyright. Editorial content from USPA may be quoted on other websites as long as the quote comprises no more than 5% of the entire text, is marked as such and the source is named (via hyperlink).
