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Mid-morning on Tuesday, two large aircraft clipped each other on the ground at Los Angeles International Airport. It was around 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time. According to the FAA, the Delta Airbus – which was taxiing toward the runway for departure – struck the horizontal stabilizer of an Air Canada plane with its left wing; the Air Canada aircraft was being towed to its gate. Airport operations continued as normal.
There was visible damage but no injuries. Local television footage shows a piece of the Delta aircraft’s wingtip embedded in the Canadian plane’s tail assembly. Photos obtained by TMZ reveal a deep gash in its right stabilizer. Delta reported having 275 passengers and 15 crew members on board, and no injuries were reported on either side. Airport firefighters responded to the scene but did not need to use fire-suppression equipment.
Who was going where? The Delta flight, an Airbus A350, was bound for Tokyo-Haneda Airport. The Air Canada plane had just landed after arriving from Toronto.
The fate of the two aircraft: Air Canada stated that its plane had been taken out of service for inspection and repairs. As for Delta, the crew reported a wingtip issue to air traffic control and came to a stop. I have found no confirmation regarding the status of the flight to Tokyo (whether it was cancelled, the aircraft replaced, or passengers rerouted); we will have to wait for updates from the airline.
Accounts differ. A Delta passenger claims the Air Canada plane appeared to move into their aircraft’s path. Another witness, who remained on board a plane approaching its gate, described the aircraft as stationary. The circumstances have yet to be established, as has the Air Canada flight number; sources have cited it variously as 875 and 785.
An investigation is underway. The FAA stated that the incident occurred on a taxiway rather than a runway, and the airport reported that flight operations were continuing normally. The NTSB has been notified.
Similar incidents
This type of ground-level contact is far from unprecedented:
LaGuardia, October 2025: Two CRJ-900s operated by Endeavor Air (a Delta subsidiary) collided at low speed on a taxiway, resulting in minor injuries to a flight attendant.
Atlanta: A regional jet and a Delta Airbus collided on a taxiway, causing significant damage to the smaller aircraft but resulting in no injuries.
Toronto-Pearson, October 2025: An Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX struck the wingtips of two parked aircraft while being towed.
Boston, 2011: A Delta Boeing 767 struck the tail fin of one of the airline’s regional jets; both aircraft were taken out of service.
LaGuardia, March 2026: The most serious incident in the series, an Air Canada Express plane struck a fire truck upon landing, killing both pilots and injuring dozens of people. This was not a collision between two aircraft.