Air traffic controller noticed tail of plane missing, according to audio archives
Video shows aftermath of plane collision at Atlanta airport
Two planes operated by Delta Airlines collided on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. (Credit:@avi8ionaddict via Storyful)
Those who witnessed two planes collide at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday are detailing what they saw.
The two jets, one from Delta Air Lines and one from Delta-owned Endeavor Air, collided on a taxiway, with a larger plane knocking over the tail of a smaller regional jet.
No injuries were reported, and the FAA will investigate what happened.
"The Delta Airbus A350 was headed to Tokyo. The Endeavor Bombardier CRJ900 was headed to Lafayette, Louisiana," the agency said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
VIDEO SHOWS DELTA PLANE'S TAIL SEVERED AFTER COLLISION WHILE TAXIING AT ATLANTA AIRPORT
There were 221 passengers on the Airbus and 56 passengers on the regional jet, the Associated Press reported.
"You know I just noticed that the tail on the RJ is missing," an air traffic controller said, according to audio archives maintained by LiveATC.net. "So Endeavor 5526, hold your position, and do you require any immediate assistance?"
"No immediate assistance," a pilot answered back. "We'll need a tow, though."
Delta said the wing of the larger plane was also damaged.
DELTA, ENDEAVOR PLANES COLLIDE ON TARMAC AT HARTSFIELD-JACKSON ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Delta says "there have been no reported injuries at this time and customers are being transported back to the terminal where they will be reaccommodated on alternate flights." (WANF )
"I was on a different Delta plane when our pilot announced that we were going to have a short delay on the ramp," Greg Vojnovic told Fox News Digital in an email Wednesday morning. "The pilot said he wanted to tell us what was [happening] so we wouldn’t be alarmed by seeing emergency vehicles."
"He said a larger plane clipped the tail of a smaller plane with its wing while taxiing. He wanted us all to know that no one was hurt. I appreciated that Delta wanted their passengers to know what was happening."
Vojnovic also posted a picture of the planes on X.
The tail of one of the planes is seen damaged on Tuesday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. (WAGA)
"Well, that was terrifying. Taxiing out for the flight from Atlanta to Louisiana and another plane appears to have clipped the back of our plane," WFTS Meteorologist Jason Adams posted on X. "Very jarring, metal scraping sounds then loud bangs. We’re fine. No fire or smoke."
Delta later issued a second statement saying it has "worked with each customerv… to provide accommodation on alternate aircraft scheduled to depart Tuesday afternoon. We apologize to our customers for the experience."
Back in August, a fatal incident happened at a maintenance facility in Delta's Technical Operations Center next to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the airline said.
One of the planes in Atlanta suffered severe damage to its tail. (X/@GregVojnovic)
Mirko Marweg, 58, was among two workers who died while wheel components were being disassembled for maintenance at a wheel and brake shop. A third worker was seriously injured.
Hartsfield-Jackson International ranked as the world's busiest airport for passenger volume in 2023, when it served more than 104.6 million travelers, according to a report by the Airports Council International in April. It has consistently held the top spot in recent years.
Fox News' Louis Casiano, Greg Norman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
