American Airlines planes ‘swapped paint' at metro DC's Reagan airport

An American Airlines plane "bumped into" another American Airlines plane on the taxiway at Reagan National Airport Thursday afternoon.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that the wingtip of American Airlines flight 5490 hit flight 4522 about 12:45 p.m. at the airport near Washington, D.C. There were no injuries.

"All of a sudden, while we were on the tarmac, we had a huge bump in the plane. Kinda jolted us a little bit," passenger Gregory Gillian said. "We were standing still waiting to take off, that’s when this actual, this other plane actually bumped and hit the wing of our plane. And so we couldn’t move we couldn’t do anything.”

Several members of Congress were sitting on flight 4522, the plane that was clipped. They were awaiting takeoff to JFK International Airport in New York. The FAA said flight 5490 was headed to Charleston International Airport in South Carolina before the incident.

Rep. Nick LaLota, a Republican from New York, said in a text to NBC News the planes “swapped paint” but that everyone was fine. He said the airline gave the passengers cookies.

"When we looked out of some of the right windows, you could see the wing, arrow wing flooping a bit and it was apparent that we got hit," LaLota told NBC News' Tom Costello.

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. Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok! (And ⁦@RepGraceMeng⁩ is handing out grapes!) pic.twitter.com/bOo1JNXZDh

— Congressman Nick LaLota (@RepLaLota) April 10, 2025

Both planes were taken out of service after the incident. American Airlines said the winglets on each plane were damaged. A winglet is a small wing or airfoil at the tip of an aircraft wing that reduces drag and improves aerodynamics.

Passengers on the plane that was headed to New York said they were on the tarmac for about 30 minutes afterward before staff told them to get off the plane.

Other New York lawmakers sitting on the plane that was clipped said the incident highlights the need to restore staffing at the FAA after recent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) budget cuts and layoffs. In February, around 400 FAA personnel were let go.

"I'm grateful no one was hurt today, but this incident underscores this urgent need restore all FAA jobs that keep our runways safe," Democratic Rep. Grace Meng said on X.

"While waiting to take off on the runway at DCA just now, another plane struck our wing. Thankfully, everyone is safe. Just a reminder: Recent cuts to the FAA weaken our skies and public safety," Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer said on X.

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. https://t.co/tM4lyHsdYk

— Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) April 10, 2025

The incident comes amid safety concerns following the tragic midair collision that killed 67 people near DCA in January. In the months since the deadly crash involving a helicopter and passenger jet, incidents of aircraft flying too close and a kite hitting a plane further weakened travelers' confidence, and DCA has seen passenger traffic drop significantly.

American Airlines said the passengers and crew on both flights would be put on different planes.

The FAA said it will investigate this latest incident.

NBC News contributed to this report.

Stay with News4 for updates to this developing story.