Delta Plane Wing Strikes Runway at LaGuardia; Go-Around Executed
A Delta Air Lines plane experienced an incident while landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Sunday night, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The aircraft, an Endeavor Air flight operating as Delta Connection, struck its wing on the runway during a landing attempt.
The FAA confirmed that the incident occurred shortly after 10 p.m. on Endeavor Air Flight 4814, which was en route from Jacksonville, Florida, to LaGuardia Airport. A spokesperson for the agency stated that the left wing of the aircraft made contact with the runway while the pilot was performing a go-around maneuver due to an unstable approach.
A go-around is a standard safety procedure executed at the discretion of the pilot or at the request of an air traffic controller. It involves aborting the landing approach and returning the aircraft to a safe altitude and configuration to attempt another approach. The FAA emphasized that both the pilot and the air traffic controller maintain full command of the situation during a go-around.
Officials with the Port Authority, which operates LaGuardia Airport, confirmed that there were no injuries reported as a result of the incident and that airport operations were not impacted. The flight was carrying 76 passengers, two pilots, and two flight attendants.
Delta Air Lines also acknowledged the incident and issued an apology to the passengers on board. A spokesperson for the airline stated that the Endeavor Air flight crew adhered to established procedures to safely execute the go-around at LaGuardia. The aircraft subsequently landed safely and proceeded to its designated arrival gate.
The FAA is currently investigating the incident to determine the specific circumstances that led to the wing strike. As of Monday afternoon, the aircraft remained on the ground at LaGuardia Airport, according to local news reports. The agency has stated that the information available is preliminary and that the investigation is ongoing.
This incident follows several other recent events involving Delta Air Lines and its subsidiary, Endeavor Air. In February, a Delta Air Lines plane crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson Airport. The flight, originating from Minneapolis, was carrying 80 people. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated, but 19 people were treated for injuries, and three were transported to local hospitals.
Following the Toronto crash, Delta announced that it would offer $30,000 to each passenger "with no strings attached." This offer allows passengers to accept the payout without forfeiting their right to pursue legal action against the airline.
In response to concerns that budget cuts during the Trump administration may have negatively impacted aviation safety, Delta CEO Ed Bastian defended the airline industry’s safety record during an interview. Bastian acknowledged that there were cuts to the FAA budget, but he emphasized that the cuts primarily affected non-critical safety functions and involved a relatively small number of employees compared to the agency’s total workforce. He also highlighted the Trump administration’s commitment to investing in modernizing air traffic control systems, hiring additional controllers and investigators, and improving overall aviation safety.
The recent incidents involving Delta and Endeavor Air are part of a larger pattern of aviation disasters that have occurred worldwide in recent months. These incidents include a crash in South Korea involving a Jeju Air flight that resulted in the deaths of 179 people, and a crash involving an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that killed 38 people and injured 29 others on Christmas.
In North America, a collision between a military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines commercial flight near Washington, D.C., in January resulted in the deaths of 67 people. In February, 10 people died after a commuter plane crashed off the coast of Alaska.
The recent spate of aviation incidents has raised concerns about the safety of air travel and the factors that may contribute to these events. Aviation experts are carefully examining the causes of these incidents, including pilot error, mechanical failures, weather conditions, and air traffic control issues.
The investigation into the wing strike incident at LaGuardia Airport is expected to focus on the circumstances surrounding the unstable approach that led to the go-around maneuver. Investigators will likely review the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder to gather information about the pilot’s actions, the aircraft’s performance, and the communications between the pilot and air traffic control. The FAA will also examine the runway conditions and weather conditions at the time of the incident.
The findings of the investigation will be used to determine whether any safety recommendations or corrective actions are necessary to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The investigation could also lead to changes in pilot training procedures, air traffic control protocols, or aircraft maintenance practices.
