Congress members' flight gets a surprise nudge on Washington National Airport tarmac
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NTSB releases report on DCA collision, gives urgent recommendations
The NTSB released a preliminary report on the DCA collision between a plane and helicopter in January while giving urgent recommendations to the FAA.
Two American Airlines regional jets clipped their wings on the ground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday afternoon.
American Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement to USA TODAY and said there were no reports of injuries on either flight.
"American Eagle flight 5490, operated by PSA Airlines, made contact on a DCA taxiway with American Eagle flight 4522, operated by Republic Airways. Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience," the airline said in a statement.
According American, AA5490, was scheduled to fly from DCA to Charleston, South Carolina. There were 76 customers and four crewmembers onboard, according to the airline, and the flight was operated by a CRJ-700, according to FlightAware.
Flight AA4522 was scheduled to fly from DCA to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York with 67 customers and four crewmembers onboard, according to American. FlightAware shows it was being operated by an Embraer 175.
According to American Airlines, both planes received damage to their winglets, which are features on the end of the wing to improve the aircraft's aerodynamics. The airline said the jets taxied back to the terminal to offload passengers and were taken out of service for maintenance inspections. The airline's statement added that passengers would be reaccommodated on replacement aircraft.
At least two Congressional representatives from New York appear to have been on one of the planes, according to social media post from Nick LaLota, R-N.Y and Grace Meng, D-N.Y. NBC News reported there were five lawmakers on the flight.
DCA in focus
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has been central to a discussion of aviation safety in the U.S. in recent months. In January, it was the site of the first deadly U.S. aircraft crash in nearly 16 years when an Army Black Hawk Helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet operated by PSA Airlines as the plane was preparing to land at DCA.
Then, a Delta Air Lines jet and an Air Force plane had a close call in March near the airport as well.
The Federal Aviation Administration has tightened the regulations for mixed-use airspace in the airport's vicinity, essentially closing off the helicopter corridor used during January's crash. Meanwhile, as the NTSB and FAA continue investigating incidents, the FAA recently announced changes and more resources for air traffic controllers in the DCA tower.
FAA staffing across the country has been under scrutiny for years, with the agency saying it does not have a full roster in most of its facilities. The Trump administration has promised to increase hiring for air traffic controllers but has also enacted layoffs across other roles in the agency.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
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