On Thursday, April 10, 2025, two American Eagle regional jets clipped wings while taxiing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The incident occurred around 12:45 p.m. when American Eagle Flight 5490, operated by PSA Airlines, made contact on a taxiway with American Eagle Flight 4522, operated by Republic Airways.
Incident Details
– Flight 5490: A Bombardier CRJ900 en route to Charleston International Airport in South Carolina.
– Flight 4522: An Embraer E175 bound for JFK International Airport in New York.
The collision resulted in damage to the winglets of both aircraft. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the 147 passengers and 8 crew members aboard the two flights.
Congressional Passengers Onboard
Several U.S. Congress members were aboard Flight 4522 at the time of the incident, including Reps. Nick LaLota (R-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), and Ritchie Torres (D-NY). Rep. LaLota shared on social media that the plane he was on was stationary when it was struck, and all passengers were unharmed.
Response and Investigation
Both aircraft returned to their gates and were taken out of service for inspection. Passengers were rebooked on alternative flights to continue their journeys. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the incident to determine the cause and assess any safety implications.
This event adds to a series of recent aviation safety concerns at DCA, including a mid-air collision in January 2025 between an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter, which resulted in fatalities.
American Airlines emphasized that safety is their top priority and apologized to customers for the experience.
