Japan Airlines plane impales tail of Delta plane at Sea-Tac Airport

The Brief

• The wing of a taxiing Japan Airlines plane hit the tail of a Delta Air Lines plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

• No injuries were reported.

• Winter weather and this incident caused more than 170 delays and some cancelations on Wednesday.

SEATAC, Wash. – The wing of a taxiing Japan Airlines plane hit the tail of a Delta Air Lines plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Wednesday.

What we know

The incident happened at about 10:15 a.m.

Crews with Port of Seattle Fire Department, police and Sea-Tac Airport operations responded to the incident on the ramp on a taxi line between the S Concourse and the south airport maintenance hangars.

According to the Port of Seattle, a taxiing Japan Airlines plane hit the tail of a parked Delta Air Lines aircraft. No injuries were reported.

Delta Air Lines told FOX 13 Seattle that its plane was a Boeing 737 operating from Seattle to Puerto Vallarta.

“While in sequence for deicing, the tail of a Delta 737 aircraft reportedly made contact with a wing tip of another airline’s aircraft. There are no reports of injuries for crew or customers on the flight, and we apologize for the experience and delay in travels.”

Customers on the Delta flight were being moved to a different aircraft.

Passengers on JAL Flight 67 said Wednesday afternoon that they were still waiting for an update from the airline on their flight to Tokyo Narita. According to FlightAware, that plane is a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

What we don’t know

It’s unclear what led up to the collision or how long this taxiway will be blocked.

Port of Seattle officials said there was minimal impact on airport operations since it happened on a taxi line.

By the numbers

As of 2 p.m. PT, there were at least 180  delays and 28 cancelations at SEA, according to FlightAware.

The Airport was already experiencing delays as winter weather swept through the Pacific Northwest.

Big picture view

The incident at SEA comes at a time of increased scrutiny on air travel safety.

In January, an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided and crashed into the Potomac River, killing all 67 people on both aircraft. On Feb. 3, crews began removing the wreckage. Authorities have recovered and identified 55 of the 67 people killed in the crash. Federal investigators are still piecing together the events that led to the collision.

In Philadelphia, a medical plane carrying a child, her mother and four crew members crashed into a neighborhood on Jan. 31, killing everyone on board and injuring more than a dozen people on the ground. The plane was a Jet Rescue Air Ambulance and was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, according to the FAA.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

The Source

Information used in this story was based on a press release issued by the Port of Seattle on Feb. 5, 2025.

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