Lucy Devine
A witness has spoken out about their experience after two United Airlines planes collided at an airport in New York.
On Friday (October 31) two planes collided while on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport.
One flight was a United Airlines aircraft returning from Orlando. As it tried to manoeuvre into its arrival gate, it collided with the tail of another United Airlines plane about to taxi to the runway for its flight to Houston.
Following the collision, both planes were instructed to return to their gates, while all passengers disembarked so that the planes could be evaluated for damage.
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There were no injuries reported among passengers or crew.
It's reported that at the time of the incident, the airport was battling severe delays due to weather conditions.
The New York Post reports that the flight departing for Houston was already running 90 minutes behind, while other flights had been canceled due to adverse weather.
Meanwhile, the airport was one of many suffering from staffing shortages amidst the government shutdown.
One witness told The Post: “We all felt a bump during taxi to the runway but didn’t know it was another plane until the captain said it was."
Of the staff shortages, which have impacted New York in particular, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement on Friday night, explaining: "Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks, ensuring the safety of more than 50,000 daily operations across the national airspace system (NAS).
"As we head into this weekend, a surge in callouts is straining staffing levels at multiple facilities, leading to widespread impacts across the NAS. Currently, half of our Core 30 facilities are experiencing staffing shortages, and nearly 80 per cent of air traffic controllers are absent at New York–area facilities.
"After 31 days without pay, air traffic controllers are under immense stress and fatigue.
"The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays.
"As we continue to reiterate, we will never compromise on safety. When staffing shortages occur, the FAA will reduce the flow of air traffic to maintain safety. This may result in delays or cancellations."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson told UNILAD: "On Friday evening, United flight 580 was turning into its arrival gate when it made contact with the tail of United flight 434, which was stationary on the taxiway.
"Both planes returned to the gate and passengers deplaned normally. No injuries were reported. We are working to get our customers to their destination as quickly as possible."
The incident is the second at LaGuardia in a month.
On October 1, two Delta planes were involved in a collision on the tarmac.
At the time, a spokesperson said there had been a 'low-speed collision' and that the wing of one plane had 'made contact' with another.