Flight Safety Information - April 10, 2025 No. 073 In This Issue : Congress members' flight gets a surprise nudge on Washington National Airport tarmac : Plane Carrying U.S. Congress Members Clipped by Another Flight at Reagan Airport as Reps Live Tweet from Cabin : Embraer ERJ-175LR - Ground Collision (DCA Airport) Congress members' flight gets a surprise nudge on Washington National Airport tarmac Two American Airlines regional jets reportedly clipped wings on the ground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday afternoon. There were no reports of injuries immediately available, but at least two Congressional representatives from New York appear to have been on one of the planes, according to a social media post from Nick LaLota, R-N.Y. NBC News reported there were five lawmakers on the flight, and said it was AA4522. According to FlightAware, flight 4522 was operated by Republic Airways and was scheduled to depart DCA at 12:30 Thursday afternoon and land at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York about an hour and a half later. The details of the other flight were not immediately clear. American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment. DCA in focus Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has been central to a discussion of aviation safety in the U.S. in recent months. In January, it was the site of the first deadly U.S. aircraft crash in nearly 16 years when an Army Black Hawk Helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet operated by PSA Airlines as the plane was preparing to land at DCA. Then, a Delta Air Lines jet and an Air Force plane had a close call in March near the airport as well. The Federal Aviation Administration has tightened the regulations for mixed-use airspace in the airport's vicinity, essentially closing off the helicopter corridor used during January's crash. Meanwhile, as the NTSB and FAA continue investigating incidents, the FAA recently announced changes and more resources for air traffic controllers in the DCA tower. FAA staffing across the country has been under scrutiny for years, with the agency saying it does not have a full roster in most of its facilities. The Trump administration has promised to increase hiring for air traffic controllers but has also enacted layoffs across other roles in the agency. https://www.yahoo.com/news/congress-members-flight-gets-surprise-175730226.html Plane Carrying U.S. Congress Members Clipped by Another Flight at Reagan Airport as Reps Live Tweet from Cabin At least two members of Congress, Nick LaLota and Grace Meng, were aboard one of the aircrafts at the airport where a deadly mid-air collision occurred in January Two planes have reportedly made contact on the tarmac at Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.C. At least two members of congress, Rep. Nick LaLota and Rep. Grace Meng, were aboard one of the aircrafts and have shared updates about the incident on X (formerly Twitter). "Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences… like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing," LaLota tweeted. "Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok! (And ⁦@RepGraceMeng is handing out grapes!)" Rep. Meng retweeted her fellow New York representative, adding "Glad my colleagues and I are okay! We are safely waiting on the tarmac, but we may need more snacks. I'm grateful no one was hurt today, but this incident underscores this urgent need restore all FAA jobs that keep our runways safe." Rep. Mang also shared a video, below, with her followers after deplaning showing the plane back at the gate, thanking followers for their concern and reiterating that everyone who had been on board was safe. American Airlines 5490 and 4522 were the two flights involved, a representative for the airport confirms to PEOPLE. There are no injuries reported and both planes have returned to their gates. A representative for American Airlines did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. The incident comes just over two months after a deadly crash at the same airport on Jan. 29, during which an American Airlines regional jet and a Blackhawk Army helicopter collided in mid-air, killing everyone on board both aircrafts. Meng's comment regarding the Federal Aviation administration refers to the Trump administration's recent firing of hundreds of FAA employees in February. About 400 support staff were fired from the federal agency, USA Today reported. David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union, released a statement on Feb. 15 about the terminations, in which he said the union feels "troubled and disappointed" by the administration’s decision. Pilots and aviation experts have warned of a dangerous increase in "near misses" at U.S airports in recent years. A New York Times investigation from August 2023 included confidential reports documenting an alarming number of near collisions, many never made public https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/plane-carrying-u-congress-members-183849055.html Embraer ERJ-175LR - Ground Collision (DCA Airport) Date: Thursday 10 April 2025 Time: Type: Embraer ERJ-175LR Owner/operator: American Eagle, opb Republic Airlines Registration: N422YX MSN: 17000387 Year of manufacture: 2014 Engine model: General Electric CF34-8E Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA/KDCA), Washington, DC - United States of America Phase: Taxi Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Washington-Ronald Reagan National Airport, DC (DCA/KDCA) Destination airport: New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY (JFK/KJFK) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: American Airlines flight flight 5490, a Bombardier CRJ-900LR (N592NN), and American Airlines flight 4522, an Embraer ERJ-175 (N422YX), were involved in a ground contact at KDCA. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/495833 Curt Lewis