A Delta Air Lines Airbus A350 collided with an Air Canada Boeing 777 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Tuesday morning, damaging both aircraft and leaving passengers facing delays.
The incident happened at around 10:30 a.m. local time on October 6 on a taxiway at LAX. Delta Flight 7 was taxiing for departure when its left wingtip clipped the horizontal stabilizer of Air Canada Flight 785, according to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration. Fortunately, no passengers or crew members were reported injured.
~10:30 a.m.
October 6, Local Time
275 + 15
Passengers & Crew on Delta Flight 7
No Injuries
Reported
2 Aircraft
Out of Service for Inspection
The Two Aircraft Involved
Delta Flight 7
Airbus A350- Scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda
- Moving along the taxiway for departure
- 275 passengers and 15 crew members on board
- Visible damage around the left wingtip
Air Canada Flight 785
Boeing 777- Had arrived safely from Toronto
- Being towed toward its gate; the FAA said it had stopped short of the gate
- Not yet positioned at the terminal when the contact occurred
- Visible damage around the tail and horizontal stabilizer
What Happened on the Taxiway
The Delta aircraft was moving along the taxiway for its departure when its left wingtip struck the Air Canada jet’s tail. The incident was not a runway collision and did not occur while either aircraft was airborne.
Photos and video from the scene showed the two widebody aircraft in close contact. Images also appeared to show part of the Delta winglet lodged in the Air Canada aircraft’s horizontal stabilizer. However, the full extent of the structural damage will not be known until detailed inspections are completed.
What Is a Horizontal Stabilizer?
The horizontal stabilizer is the smaller wing-like surface located at the rear of an aircraft and is an important part of its flight-control system.
Captured on Air Traffic Control Audio
The Air Canada pilot reported feeling a shudder and asked the ground controller whether everything appeared normal from outside the aircraft. The Delta crew then reported an apparent problem with its wingtip.
Airline and Airport Responses
Delta Air Lines
Delta confirmed that one of its aircraft had made contact with an Air Canada aircraft while taxiing at LAX. The airline apologized to passengers and said its maintenance teams and airport personnel were assessing the aircraft.
Air Canada
Spokesperson Sean Davidson confirmed that Flight 785 had arrived from Toronto before the incident and said the aircraft would be taken out of service for inspection and repairs.
Los Angeles World Airports
LAWA confirmed that the contact took place on a taxiway and said normal airport operations continued following the incident.
Impact on Delta Passengers
The incident came just as passengers’ long-haul journey to Japan was about to begin. They were suddenly faced with an unexpected delay while the airline determined whether the A350 could continue operating.
Impact on Air Canada’s Schedule
The Air Canada 777 was removed from service, potentially affecting its planned return flight to Toronto. The airline said it would undergo inspection before returning to service.
No Blame Assigned Yet
The FAA is investigating how the two aircraft came into contact. At this stage, authorities have not assigned blame to either airline or crew, and the FAA’s information remains preliminary.
Because the two aircraft were involved in different ground operations, with one taxiing for departure and the other being towed toward its gate, it is too early to draw conclusions about responsibility. Factors that could be examined include:
Until the investigation is complete, there is no official finding on what caused the collision or who was at fault.
A Reminder of Ground Operation Challenges
Despite the dramatic appearance of the collision, the most important outcome was that nobody was hurt. Both aircraft, however, now face inspections and potentially significant repairs. The incident is another reminder of the challenges involved in moving large widebody aircraft around one of the busiest airports in the United States, where even a small misjudgment in positioning or clearance can result in costly damage.
