No injuries were reported after the two widebody aircraft made contact as one taxied for departure and the other was being towed.
LOS ANGELES — A Delta Air Lines passenger jet clipped the tail of an Air Canada aircraft while taxiing at Los Angeles International Airport on Oct. 6, damaging both planes but causing no reported injuries, federal aviation officials and the airlines said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Delta Air Lines Flight 7 was taxiing for departure at about 10:30 a.m. when its left wingtip struck the horizontal stabilizer of Air Canada Flight 785. The Air Canada aircraft, which had arrived from Toronto, was being towed toward its gate at the time. The FAA opened an investigation into the ground collision, which occurred on a taxiway rather than a runway.
Delta Flight 7 was preparing to fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Delta said the Airbus A350 was carrying 275 passengers and 15 crew members. The airline said maintenance teams began inspecting the aircraft after the collision and apologized to customers for the disruption to their travel.
Air Canada said its aircraft, a Boeing 777 that had arrived from Toronto, was taken out of service for inspection and repairs. The airline said the plane was being moved to its gate when the collision occurred. Officials had not publicly released a final estimate of the damage or said when either aircraft would return to passenger service.
The FAA’s account said the Delta jet’s left wingtip clipped the Air Canada plane’s horizontal stabilizer, part of the aircraft’s tail assembly. Images from the airport showed visible damage to both aircraft. Authorities had not announced a cause or assigned responsibility for the collision as of Oct. 10.
Air traffic control audio reported by news organizations captured crews discussing the contact shortly after it happened. The Air Canada crew reported feeling a shudder, while the Delta crew told ground control there appeared to be a problem with the wingtip. Firefighters responded to check the aircraft, but no injuries or fire were reported.
The collision did not cause a broader shutdown at LAX. Airport officials said operations continued normally after the incident even as the two aircraft were removed from regular service. The contact occurred during ground movements, separating it from incidents in which aircraft collide or come dangerously close while taking off or landing.
The FAA is responsible for examining the circumstances surrounding the contact, including the movements of the aircraft and other information relevant to the event. The agency’s initial statement established that the Delta plane was taxiing for departure and the Air Canada aircraft was under tow when they made contact, but it did not identify why their paths brought them close enough to collide.
No finding about fault or the cause of the collision had been announced by Oct. 10. The FAA investigation remained active, while Delta and Air Canada continued dealing with inspections, repairs and the travel disruptions resulting from the damaged aircraft.
Author note: Last updated October 10, 2026.