Japan Airlines plane clips parked Delta jet at Seattle airport

Workers on a lift check the area where the wing of a Japan Airlines jet went into the tail of a Delta Air Lines jet at the south end of a runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (The Seattle Times via Associated Press)

SEATTLE — A Japan Airlines plane that was taxiing on the tarmac of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport apparently clipped the tail of a parked Delta aircraft on Wednesday morning, airport authorities said.

Authorities responded to the incident around 10:17 a.m., the airport said on X. All passengers from Japan Airlines flight 68 and Delta Air Lines flight 1921 were deplaned with no reported injuries, and response crews were working to move the aircraft off the ramp taxiway, the airport said.

While taxiing upon arrival from Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, the right wing of Japan Airlines’ Boeing 787 came into contact with the Delta plane’s tail, Japan Airlines said in an emailed statement. There were no injuries reported among the 172 passengers and 13 crew members onboard.

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Delta spokesperson Samantha Moore Facteau said in an email that its Boeing 737 was waiting to have ice removed from its exterior when the wing tip of another aircraft reportedly made contact with its tail. Deicing, as it’s known, can occur before a flight begins to taxi to the runway, she said.

There were 142 passengers onboard the flight to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and they were being transferred to a new aircraft, she said. There were no reports of injuries for crew or passengers.

Jason Chan, one of the passengers on the Delta flight, said the plane “jiggled back and forth” and shook a little bit when the collision occurred. Shortly after, the captain announced that the plane’s tail had been hit. Passengers remained calm, Chan said, and eventually got off the plane to be bused back to the terminal.

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Chan said the whole incident seemed “surreal,” but that his group of six was making the most of it while waiting in the lounge for their rescheduled flight.

Airport operations were minimally impacted because the incident occurred on a taxi lane, authorities said.
The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate, spokesperson Sam Lichtman said in an emailed statement.