SEATTLE — On Wednesday morning, a Japan Airlines aircraft that was taxiing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport seemingly made contact with the tail of a stationary Delta Air Lines plane, according to airport officials.
Authorities received reports of the situation around 10:17 a.m. via the airport’s social media platform. All passengers aboard Japan Airlines flight 68 and Delta flight 1921 were safely evacuated, with no injuries recorded. Response teams were deployed to relocate the affected aircraft from the taxiway.
The incident took place as the Boeing 787 from Japan Airlines was arriving from Narita International Airport in Tokyo. The airline confirmed that the tail of the stationary Delta aircraft was inadvertently struck by the right wing of its plane. There were 172 passengers and 13 crew members aboard the Japan Airlines flight, none of whom sustained injuries.
A representative from Delta, Samantha Moore Facteau, explained in an email that their Boeing 737 was undergoing a deicing process to remove ice from the wings when the incident occurred. This process is a standard procedure performed before a flight begins moving toward the runway.
Delta’s flight was bound for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, carrying 142 passengers who were later transferred to a different aircraft without any injuries reported among the passengers or crew members.
One passenger, Jason Chan, described the moment of impact, saying the plane “jiggled back and forth” during the collision. The captain subsequently informed everyone onboard about the incident, but Chan noted that the passengers remained calm and were eventually taken back to the terminal via bus.
Chan also mentioned that despite the surreal nature of the event, his group of six tried to make the best of the situation while waiting for their next flight in the lounge.
Airport operations were reported to be minimally affected since the incident transpired on a taxi lane, according to officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration will be conducting an investigation into the occurrence, as stated by spokesperson Sam Lichtman in an email.
