Another major plane collision at Reagan Airport
In this DML Report…
Two planes collided on the ground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, during a busy morning at one of the nation’s most congested airports. An American Airlines flight, carrying 72 passengers including six U.S. lawmakers heading to a congressional retreat in West Virginia, was struck by another American Airlines plane that was being towed from a gate. The incident occurred at 8:02 a.m. when the towed aircraft’s wingtip hit the rear of the stationary plane at a gate near Terminal 2, Concourse D. No injuries were reported, and all passengers were safely evacuated, though one aircraft sustained visible damage with its tail partially detached.
The collision took place during the airport’s peak morning hours, a time when Reagan National’s main runway—the busiest in the U.S. with over 800 daily takeoffs and landings—handles a high volume of traffic. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) immediately launched an investigation, focusing on ground handling procedures and air traffic control coordination. American Airlines confirmed both planes were removed from service for inspections, and affected passengers were rebooked on later flights. This incident adds to ongoing safety concerns at Reagan National, which has faced scrutiny following a January 29 midair collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people, as well as other recent near-misses involving military and commercial aircraft.
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The FAA’s investigation comes amid heightened attention to Reagan National’s operational challenges, including staffing shortages and airspace congestion. Just months ago, the airport’s control tower was understaffed during the fatal January crash, with only one controller managing both planes and helicopters—a task typically requiring two. Since then, the FAA has implemented new staffing measures and restricted helicopter operations near the airport. This latest incident, while less severe, underscores persistent safety risks at Reagan National, where the National Transportation Safety Board has already flagged “serious safety issues” in the surrounding airspace following multiple close calls in 2025, including a near-miss between a Delta flight and an Air Force jet on March 28.