Delta A350, Air Canada 777 collide on LAX taxiway

A Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900 clipped the tail of an Air Canada Boeing 777-200LR during a taxiway collision at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday morning. The impact tore off the A350's winglet and lodged it in the 777's horizontal stabilizer, causing a large gash and grounding both aircraft.

Delta Flight DL7, bound for Tokyo Haneda, was taxiing for departure when its left wingtip made contact with the right horizontal stabilizer of Air Canada Flight AC785. The collision occurred on a taxiway near Terminal 6. The horizontal stabilizer is the smaller, wing-like surface at the tail of the aircraft.

Passenger and crew safety

No injuries were reported among the 275 passengers and 15 crew on the Delta flight. Air Canada also confirmed no injuries on its aircraft.

Photos showed substantial damage to both jets. Air Canada spokesperson Sean Davidson confirmed the 777 was withdrawn from service for inspection and repairs. Delta said its maintenance and airport teams in Los Angeles were assessing the A350 and apologized to customers for the delay.

Operational impact

The incident caused significant operational disruption. Delta's Flight DL7 to Tokyo was canceled and later operated by a replacement A350. That flight eventually took off on Tuesday evening at 6:08 PM, a delay of more than eight hours.

Air Canada was forced to cancel its return service, AC786 back to Toronto, stranding hundreds of passengers. Passengers on the Tokyo service faced lengthy delays while Delta sourced a replacement aircraft.

Investigation underway

The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified.

Investigators will examine the towing operation, taxi clearances issued, and separation between the two aircraft. They will also look at why the Air Canada 777 stopped short of its gate and how its position related to the path of the taxiing A350.

Air traffic control recordings captured the collision. The Air Canada pilot was heard asking, "We just felt a shudder there. Is everything looking ok?" The Delta pilot reported, "It looks like we are having an issue with the wing tip. I don't know if you can see from your position."

One passenger on the Delta aircraft said the Air Canada plane began moving into its path as the A350 taxied from the gate toward the runway. Neither airline nor the FAA has said what instructions air traffic controllers gave the Delta crew or the tow team at the time. Delta's replacement A350 eventually departed for Tokyo at 6:08 PM after more than eight hours of delay.