A plane carrying at least a half dozen US House of Representatives members has been clipped by another aircraft on the ground at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) near Washington, DC, according to US media reports.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and American Airlines (AA) said on Thursday both planes were connected to the AA fleet and no injuries were reported.
"American Eagle flight 5490, operated by PSA Airlines, made contact on a DCA taxiway with American Eagle flight 4522, operated by Republic Airways," American Airlines said in a statement. "Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience."
FAA officials said 76 passengers and four crew were aboard the Bombardier CRJ 900 Flight 5490, and 67 passengers and four crew were on the Embraer E176 Flight 4522, the aircraft that was struck.
Bystander video appears to show helicopter breaking apart mid-air as it plummets into the river.
US Representatives Gregory Meeks, Josh Gottenheimer, Nick LaLota and Grace Meng confirmed on social media that they were aboard the plane that was clipped. They noted that US reps. Adriana Espaillat and Ritchie Torres were also on the aircraft.
"Seven members of Congress were on board along with dozens of other concerned passengers," Meeks said in his post confirming the accident.
"I am safe after another plane clipped our wing while on the runway at DCA," Meeks posted. "This close call underscores the urgent need for more FAA funding--people's lives are at stake. Cuts and firing FAA employees are not the answer."
Reagan National Airport was the scene of a January 29 deadly mid-air collision between an American Eagle jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter that killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft.
The tragedy prompted a demand for more federal funding to make air travel safer, a call which was reiterated Thursday by lawmakers aboard the plane.
"While waiting to take off on the runway at DCA just now, another plane struck our wing," Gottenheimer posted on X. "Thankfully, everyone is safe. Just a reminder: Recent cuts to the FAA weaken our skies and public safety."
