Plane carrying Congress members clipped another at airport, causing taxiway accident

On Thursday, April 10, 2025, around 12:45 PM local time, two American Airlines planes bumped into each other on a taxiway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). One of the planes was an Embraer E175, operating as Flight 4522, which had at least six members of the U.S. House of Representatives (Congress members) from New York and New Jersey on board.

As reported by New York Times and NBC News, the other plane was a Bombardier CRJ 900, operating as Flight 5490. Flight 4522 was preparing to take off for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, while Flight 5490 was moving toward its departure gate for Charleston, South Carolina.

The collision happened while Flight 4522 was stopped, so it’s hard to imagine it was this plane’s fault. The tip of the Bombardier’s wing hit the winglet (a small wing-like part at the end of the wing) of the Embraer. Passengers on Flight 4522 said they felt a sudden shake, and some saw a small piece of the winglet break off.

Congress plane clipped another and took piece off

Luckily, no one on either plane was hurt, per BBC. American Airlines said the only damage was to the winglets of both aircraft. The six members of Congress on Flight 4522 were Representatives Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng, Ritchie Torres, and Adriano Espaillat (all Democrats from New York), Josh Gottheimer (a Democrat from New Jersey), and Nick LaLota (a Republican from New York).

At first, Representative Meeks said seven lawmakers were on the plane, but later reports confirmed there were six. All six posted on social media to confirm they were on the flight. Their reactions were slightly different—some focused on everyone being safe, while others mentioned worries about whether this incident pointed to bigger problems with airline safety.

Both planes were part of American Airlines, but Flight 5490 was flown by PSA Airlines, and Republic Airways flew Flight 4522. After the collision, both planes were taken out of service so American Airlines maintenance crews could inspect them. The airline released a statement saying it was sorry for what happened and that safety was their top priority.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also confirmed the collision and said it would investigate fully. The airport said the accident did not disrupt other flights. Both planes were able to taxi to their gates without any further issues. The FAA’s investigation will probably look at how the collision happened, including whether the taxiway procedures were followed correctly, how well the pilots and air traffic control communicated, and whether things like visibility or other airport conditions played a role.

The results of the investigation could lead to new safety recommendations for Reagan National Airport. Some lawmakers said this incident made them concerned about possible gaps in aviation safety rules. The FAA’s investigation will help explain what went wrong and whether changes are needed to prevent similar incidents in the future.