Two Delta Airlines jets collided on the taxiway at LaGuardia Airport Wednesday night, ripping the wing off one plane and injuring a flight attendant, while all 85 passengers escaped serious harm.

In a shocking aviation incident that sent shivers through New York City, two Delta Airlines planes collided on the taxiway at LaGuardia Airport late Wednesday night, leaving one flight attendant injured and passengers scrambling to safety.

The CRJ-900 regional jets, operated by Delta’s Endeavor Air subsidiary, were moving at low speed just before 10 p.m. when they clipped each other, ripping the wing off one aircraft in a frightening display captured on video.

Despite the chaos, miraculously, all 85 passengers across both flights escaped serious injury.

Passengers described scenes of panic as the planes struck each other. “We were taxiing to our runway and suddenly got absolutely smashed by another Delta flight,” said one CBS News producer who had been on the Endeavor Air flight from Charlotte.

“Everyone shot forward in their seats. It was chaotic and terrifying—I don’t even know if we hit them or they hit us. People were screaming, and we just braced for impact.”

The incident involved Endeavor Air flight 5155, departing for Roanoke, Virginia, which collided with the fuselage of Endeavor Air flight 5047, arriving from Charlotte.

The impact caused visible structural damage to one jet, with its wing broken and fuselage dented, while passengers and crew spilled onto the tarmac, assisted by airport personnel and police.

“Passengers were deplaned on the taxiway and transferred via buses back to Terminal C,” a LaGuardia spokesperson confirmed. The airport quickly resumed normal operations despite the dramatic scene.

Delta Airlines responded swiftly, emphasizing that safety remained their top priority. “Delta will work with all relevant authorities to review what occurred. The safety of our customers and people comes before all else,” a company spokesperson said.

The airline provided hotel accommodations, meals, and rebooking options for affected passengers, promising new flights within hours.

The injured flight attendant was transported to a hospital as a precaution for non-life-threatening injuries, the airport spokesperson added.

This frightening collision adds to a string of aviation incidents this year, heightening concerns over airline and federal safety oversight.

Earlier in 2025, a collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people, while multiple smaller aircraft accidents across Alaska and Arizona resulted in additional injuries and fatalities.

Aviation experts and whistleblowers have increasingly pointed to staffing cuts at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a potential factor in rising risks.

Sources inside the FAA warn that dramatic reductions in staff, particularly in departments responsible for mapping man-made obstacles such as skyscrapers and power lines, have left the agency stretched dangerously thin.

Once a team of 20 aeronautical information specialists maintained a nationwide database essential to pilot navigation and air traffic control. Under the Trump administration, however, that group has been reduced to just eight employees.

“Air traffic controllers cannot do their work without us,” said an anonymous FAA insider. “With fewer people handling these critical tasks, there’s a real risk of errors—buildings or towers could be incorrectly logged, and pilots could unknowingly fly into hazards.”

Despite these systemic concerns, passengers at LaGuardia expressed relief that the incident did not escalate into a full-scale disaster.

Video footage from the scene showed passengers standing stunned on the runway, some covering their mouths in disbelief as airport staff and emergency responders worked quickly to secure the damaged planes.

“It was like a scene from a disaster movie,” recalled a passenger on the departing flight to Roanoke.

“I never thought I’d see a plane’s wing ripped off in front of me while I was on another plane. It was surreal and terrifying.”

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA are expected to review flight data, video footage, and crew statements to determine the exact sequence of events.

Delta has pledged full cooperation with the investigation, emphasizing that the company is committed to preventing future incidents.

Meanwhile, experts continue to voice concerns over whether ongoing federal staffing shortages could be contributing to the heightened risk of accidents at major airports.

The LaGuardia collision comes at a time when aviation safety is under unprecedented scrutiny.

Following widespread federal workforce reductions, particularly in departments overseeing critical air navigation data, whistleblowers have repeatedly warned that such cuts endanger lives.

“It’s not far-fetched to imagine a catastrophe,” the FAA insider said. “Errors in mapping or data could easily turn routine flights into dangerous situations. We’re talking about planes flying blind over cities with massive skyscrapers if mistakes go unchecked.”

For the passengers on Wednesday’s flights, the ordeal was a terrifying brush with disaster but ultimately a fortunate outcome.

The minor injuries and absence of fatalities were a relief, but the incident underscores the fragile balance between operational efficiency, federal oversight, and safety in the aviation industry.

As passengers returned to terminals and awaited rebooked flights, many could only reflect on the narrow escape and hope that systemic issues flagged by experts would be addressed before the next near-tragedy.

The Delta collision at LaGuardia serves as a stark reminder of how quickly routine flights can become harrowing experiences and how critical vigilant oversight remains in an industry where seconds and inches can make the difference between safety and catastrophe.