Plane Clips Wing of Flight Carrying Rep. LaLota at D.C. Airport

A commuter jet carrying Rep. Nick LaLota, (R-Rocky Point), who represents the East End in Washington, D.C., and several other members of Congress was lightly struck by another aircraft Thursday afternoon while on the ground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to federal and congressional officials.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the wingtip of American Airlines Flight 5490, a Bombardier CRJ 900 bound for Charleston, South Carolina, made contact with the wing of American Airlines Flight 4522, an Embraer E175 headed to New York’s JFK International Airport. The incident occurred around 12:45 p.m. on a taxiway. Both planes returned to the terminal for safety inspections.

No injuries were reported. LaLota and other lawmakers—including Reps. Grace Meng, Gregory Meeks, Josh Gottheimer, Ritchie Torres, and Adriano Espaillat—were onboard the JFK-bound aircraft.

LaLota later posted on social media that another plane had “bumped into our wing” while stationary, calling the experience a “once-in-a-lifetime” moment. He also noted that Meng handed out grapes during the delay.

LaLota’s office praised the flight crew’s response and said he plans to advocate for increased aviation oversight and public safety measures in light of the incident.