Investigation into planes that clipped each other at Atlanta airport could take several months

ATLANTA — An investigation is underway to determine the cause of a plane collision at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The incident, which occurred on a taxiway, involved one plane clipping another as they were preparing for takeoff.

Channel 2′s Tom Regan learned on Wednesday that cases like this are rare as runway incidents have been declining. The FAA stated that they will investigate why one plane struck another during taxiing.

The initial step in the NTSB investigation involves examining the damage to both planes.

One of the planes lost its tail section in the collision that occurred mid-morning on Tuesday.

“All of a sudden there was a bump, it was a hard bump, the whole plane was shaking,” passenger Grant Edwards said.

CCTV footage captured the large Delta Airbus 350 snapping off the tail of a smaller Delta regional jet. Passengers on the smaller jet described the impact.

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“We hear this large scraping sound, metal together, and then you hear a boom,” passenger Jason Adams said. “People were screaming. It was that jarring. People were being thrown out of their seats.”

The collision raises questions about safety at crowded airports, especially as travel surges post-pandemic.

“We are putting a lot of airplanes in a small place, both in the air and on the ground,” aviation expert Kit Darby said.

However, the FAA reports that close calls and other runway incidents have decreased by 59% in the first four months of this year compared to last year.

The agency credits the decline to hiring more air traffic controllers and improving training.

Still, accidents can happen.

Retired NTSB investigator Alan Yurman explained what the investigation would entail.

“They will interview both crews, they will listen to the cockpit voice recorders, and the tapes from the air traffic controller’s tower,” Yurman said.

The investigation may take several months before determining the cause.

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