Two Delta Air Lines aircraft were involved in a late-night collision on a taxiway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, prompting emergency responses but no major disruptions to airport operations.
The incident occurred Wednesday, October 1, 2025, evening when two Endeavor Air flights, both operating under Delta’s regional brand, came into contact while maneuvering on the ground. According to Delta, Endeavor Air Flight 5047 had just arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina, and was taxiing to its gate when it made contact with Endeavor Air Flight 5155, which was preparing for departure to Roanoke, Virginia. Endeavor Air is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the collision happened just before 10 p.m. Eastern Time at the intersection of Taxiways M and A. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later clarified that air traffic controllers had instructed Flight 5155 to hold position and yield to Flight 5047. Despite the directive, preliminary findings indicate the wing of Flight 5155 struck the fuselage of Flight 5047 during the taxiing sequence.
Delta reported that one flight attendant sustained a minor injury during the collision. Emergency Medical Technicians provided treatment on the scene, and the injured crew member was later transported to a hospital for further evaluation. The Port Authority emphasized that, despite the collision, “there was no impact to airport operations,” allowing other flights to proceed without delays.
Passenger counts for both flights were released: Flight 5155 carried 28 passengers and four crewmembers, while Flight 5047 was transporting 57 passengers and four crewmembers. All passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft following the incident. Shuttle buses escorted travelers from the planes to the terminal, where Delta arranged for overnight accommodations and rebooked passengers on alternative flights scheduled for Thursday.
Eyewitness accounts described the collision as forceful. CBS News producer Joey Annunziato, a passenger on Flight 5047, recorded video footage of the aftermath. In the video, a pilot’s voice can be heard over the intercom informing passengers that “it seems as though there’s an aircraft that collided with us.” Annunziato later told CBS, “It was a pretty violent collision. At the time, we didn’t really know like kind of what we hit. But it almost, what it sounded like was like a sardine can kind of opening. Like it was like something was being sheared off and, lo and behold, we looked at the right side of the plane, and the wing looked like it was almost like off the plane.”
The visual evidence showed significant damage to the wing of Flight 5155, raising concerns over how the ground maneuvering sequence was managed. The FAA and Delta confirmed that a full investigation is now underway. Safety officials will examine flight data, air traffic control communications, and ground movement records to determine how the collision occurred despite standard taxi instructions.
In a statement, Delta reassured customers that safety remained its top priority: “Delta teams at our New York-LaGuardia hub are working to ensure our customers are taken care of after two Delta Connection aircraft operated by Endeavor Air were involved in a low-speed collision during taxi. Delta will work with all relevant authorities to review what occurred as safety of our customers and people comes before all else. We apologize to our customers for the experience.”
This collision underscores the challenges of ground operations at one of the United States’ busiest airports, where congested taxiways and simultaneous aircraft movements increase the risk of such incidents. While both aircraft remain grounded pending inspection, investigators are expected to issue further details once they determine whether the incident stemmed from human error, miscommunication, or other operational factors.
For now, Delta has promised full cooperation with the FAA and the Port Authority to prevent similar occurrences, while passengers involved continue to process what some described as a frightening and unexpected event.
