Democratic Congressmen Ritchie Torres (NY-15) and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) who were aboard a plane which had its wing clipped by another plane while taxiing on the runway of Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. on Thursday, April 10, have given their reaction to the incident.

 

A spokesperson for American Airlines told Norwood News that on April 10, “American Eagle flight 5490, operated by PSA Airlines, made contact on a DCA taxiway with American Eagle flight 4522, operated by Republic Airways.” The spokesperson added, “Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.”

 

We were further informed that there were no reports of injuries, both aircraft taxied to the terminal and were taken out of service to be inspected by maintenance teams, and the damage was limited to a winglet on each aircraft. The spokesperson said that affected customers were due to board replacement aircraft to continue their trips.

 

The spokesperson also said the impacted flights were:

• Flight 5490:
  • Service from Washington, D.C. (DCA) to Charleston, South Carolina (CHS)
  • 76 customers
  • Four crew members

 

• Flight 4522:
  • Service from DCA to New York (JFK)
  • 67 customers
  • Four crew members

 

Torres, who represents a large section of The Bronx stretching from the Northwest to the south, had said earlier on Thursday, “I was just on a grounded plane that was struck by another aircraft. Thankfully, no one was injured — just the inconvenience of a delayed departure. The Bronx: I’m coming home… eventually!”

 

Later, the congressman used the incident to take aim at the Trump administration which has implemented a broad range of cuts to various federal agencies in recent weeks, recommended by the controversial U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and headed up by billionaire Elon Musk. The cuts have taken place amid a slew of recent air travel accidents.

 

“The Trump Administration’s systematic decimation of the FAA is not an abstraction,” Torres said. “It has real-world consequences for aviation safety.” He added, “Aviation feels less safe under a Donald Trump presidency.”

Meanwhile, Espaillat, who represents parts of Northern Manhattan and The Bronx, said, “This afternoon, several members of Congress, including myself and other passengers, were involved in a minor incident where our plane clipped wings with another aircraft while taxiing at Ronald Reagan National Airport.”

 

He continued, “Aviation mishaps are at an all-time high, and the Trump administration’s reckless decision to fire FAA control staff has put us all in danger. We are thankful that no one was injured and that a catastrophe was avoided.”

 

Eyewitness News reported on Thursday that several other congressmembers were also impacted by the incident.

 

The incident took place on the same day as a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City, reportedly killing six people, including three children.

 

Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of this story, we had incorrectly reported that just one NY congressional representative had been involved in the incident. This has since been updated.