Two United Airlines planes collided on the ground at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Friday afternoon when the wing of one aircraft clipped the rear stabilizer of another while taxiing.
According to United, Flight 2652 from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, was on its way to the gate when its right wing made contact with a parked United aircraft. The second plane was stopped on the tarmac with no passengers on board at the time.
A United spokesperson said there were 113 passengers and five crew members on Flight 2652, and fortunately, no one was injured. “Passengers deplaned normally and no injuries were reported,” the airline confirmed.
Bill Marcus, a passenger on the flight, said he didn’t feel the impact when the planes made contact. He and other travelers only realized something was wrong after the pilot announced there would be a delay, and they noticed ground crew gathering around the aircraft.
“I was shocked that I didn’t feel something more, although when they separated the planes there was some shuddering,” Marcus said. “I was glad the pilot was professional and everyone kept their cool, but it did make me think twice about what’s going on. Is this an FAA situation? Is this a local taxiing situation? I’ve never had an issue like this in my life, and I fly quite a bit.”
The delay lasted about 40 minutes before the plane finally reached its gate and passengers were allowed to disembark.
United has not released details on how or why the collision occurred. The FAA has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the incident.