Japan Airlines plane clips Delta flight at Sea-Tac airport
A plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport hit another aircraft that was taxiing on the runway Wednesday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed.
(NEXSTAR) – A plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport hit another aircraft that was taxiing on the runway Wednesday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed.
The right wing of a Japan Airlines plane hit the tail of a Delta Air Lines plane at 10:40 a.m. There were no injuries, the Port of Seattle told the Seattle Times.
The Japan Airlines flight was arriving in Seattle from Tokyo, according to FlightAware tracking, and the Delta flight was heading to Puerto Vallarta.
Delta spokesperson Samantha Moore Facteau told the Associated Press that its Boeing 737 was waiting to have ice removed from its exterior when the wing tip of another aircraft made contact with its tail. Deicing, as it's known, can occur before a flight begins to taxi to the runway, she said.
Passengers were escorted off both flights, and a later Japan Airlines flight out of Seattle was canceled, the Times reports.
The morning flight to Puerto Vallarta was delayed as the airline worked to get another aircraft ready. The flight is scheduled to leave Wednesday afternoon.
The FAA temporarily paused flights at the airport, but business resumed as normal shortly after.
"The aircraft were in an area that is not under air traffic control," the FAA said. The agency is investigating the incident.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
