Two Delta Connection CRJ‑900s Collide at LGA—6 Fast Facts the FAA Has Confirmed (So Far)

Published on October 2, 2025

By: Paramita Sarkar

Two regional jets touched each other while moving on the ground at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA). Both planes were CRJ‑900s operating as Delta Connection flights. One jet had just arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina, and the other was preparing to depart for Roanoke, Virginia. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says the arriving plane struck the other aircraft on a taxiway, which is the paved path planes use to get to and from runways. The FAA has opened an investigation.

Involvement of two flights
The FAA identifies the flights as Endeavor Air Flight 5047 (arriving) and Endeavor Air Flight 5155 (departing). Endeavor Air operates Delta Connection services. The FAA notes that air traffic control had told Flight 5155 to hold short and yield to the inbound aircraft. The contact occurred around 10:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. The FAA listed the date and time in its preliminary posting. The incident took place at the intersection of Taxiways M and A at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York. These details come from the FAA’s same‑day statement.

What we know and don’t know
It is too early to say why the planes made contact. The FAA’s initial entry confirms the movement of both aircraft and the hold‑short instruction for Flight 5155, but it does not assign a cause. Determining whether this was due to human factors, miscommunication, signage or lighting, or other operational issues will be part of the federal review. Until investigators finish their work, the reason remains undetermined.

How the investigation works
In cases like this, the FAA typically reviews items such as ground‑control and tower recordings, surface‑movement radar, crew reports, aircraft maintenance and dispatch records, and the airport’s markings and lighting relevant to the time of the event. If the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) decides to take a role, it may later release additional materials. For now, the FAA says it is investigating and directs questions about passengers and crew to the airline.

Key points in plain language

• This was a ground collision, not a runway or in‑flight emergency. The planes touched each other while taxiing at low speed. The FAA’s preliminary note confirms the contact, location, and time.
• Confirmed facts are limited. The FAA does not list damage levels or passenger counts in its public post and instructs media to contact the airline for those details.
• Airport response framework: LaGuardia is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, whose rules require prompt reporting of incidents and coordination among airport operations, police, and emergency services—standard practice for events on the airfield. (This is general policy context, not a case‑specific report.)

Why this matters to travelers

Events like this are uncommon but can lead to delays, aircraft inspections, and aircraft swaps. Because the investigation is ongoing and passenger details are deferred to the airline, travelers who were booked on the affected flights or nearby departures should rely on official airline notifications and airport status boards for updates. The FAA will publish only limited early details; more information may follow if the investigation develops.

Note: This article relies only on government sources. Core incident facts—flights involved, aircraft type, time, location, the hold‑short instruction, and the status of the probe—come from the FAA’s “Statements on Aviation Accidents and Incidents” entry for October 1, 2025. Airport‑response context comes from the Port Authority’s Airport Rules and Regulations (general procedures; not incident‑specific).