Japan Airlines and Delta Air Lines jets collide on runway at Seattle airport

A Delta Air Lines plane had its tail clipped after it collided with a Japan Airlines plane taxiing on a runway at an airport in Seattle, Washington.

On Wednesday at 10.40am local time, the right wing of Japan Airlines flight 68 struck the tail of Delta Air Lines flight 1921 while the planes were taxiing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) confirmed.

In an email to the Associated Press, Delta spokesperson Samantha Moore Facteau said the Boeing 737 was waiting to have ice removed from its exterior when the tip of the other aircraft reportedly struck its tail.

Japan Airlines 787-9 collides with a Delta Air Lines 737-800 while taxiing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The FAA said in a statement: "The right wing of Japan Airlines Flight 68 struck the tail of Delta Air Lines Flight 1921 while the planes were taxiing at… pic.twitter.com/prN8YKtywW

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) February 5, 2025

She said there were 142 passengers onboard Delta Flight 1921 to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and they were being transferred to a new aircraft.

There are no reported injuries to crew or passengers.

“The aircraft were in an area that is not under air traffic control. The FAA temporarily paused some flights to the airport as a result of the incident,” said the FAA, which is now investigating the incident.

At approximately 10:17 a.m. this morning, Port of Seattle Fire, Police and SEA operations responded to an incident on the ramp at SEA on a taxi line between S Concourse and the south airport maintenance hangars. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/lhDKdShN50

— Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport (@flySEA) February 5, 2025

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport wrote in an X post, that there was minimal impact on airport operations as [the incident] occurred on a taxi lane.

“Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines if they are flying today,” it added.

Footage circulating on social media showed a plane wing partly wedged into another plane’s tail.

It’s the latest in a string of aviation incidents in the US.

On Saturday, a medical plane carrying six Mexican citizens crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood.

The FAA said a Learjet 55 crashed after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport.

Airlines Flight reported a young girl who was in the US for medical treatment, her mother, and the flight and medical crew were killed in the crash.

Last Thursday, a passenger aircraft operated by an American Airlines subsidiary collided with a Black Hawk helicopter, marking it the deadliest US air disaster in more than 20 years.

American Airlines flight 5342 had 64 people on board, with a further three in the helicopter. All of them were killed in the tragedy.