A Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900 struck the tail of an Air Canada Boeing 777-200LR on a taxiway at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday morning, leaving both wide body jets grounded for inspection.
Nobody was hurt, and the Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into the ground collision at Los Angeles.
What Happened At Los Angeles
The incident occurred at around 10:30 local time on 6 October 2026.
Delta Flight DL7, bound for Tokyo Haneda, was taxiing for departure when its left wingtip made contact with the right horizontal stabiliser of Air Canada Flight AC785, which had just arrived in Los Angeles from Toronto Pearson.
According to preliminary information from the FAA reported by NBC Los Angeles, the Air Canada aircraft was under tow to its gate at the time and had stopped short of its stand.
The A350 passed behind it and its wingtip struck the tail.
LiveATC audio reported by CTV News captures the moment both crews realised something had gone wrong.
The Air Canada pilot told the tower the aircraft had felt a shudder and asked whether everything looked normal from outside.
The Delta crew reported stopping because of a problem with the wingtip.
Delta confirmed 275 passengers and 15 crew were aboard the A350.
A passenger on the Delta flight told TMZ the collision felt like a heavy jolt followed by an abrupt stop. Everyone on board remained unhurt.
The Damage
Photos obtained by via Aviation Safety show a large gash in the right horizontal stabiliser of the Air Canada 777.
Separate images reported by The Bulkhead Seat show substantial damage to the Delta jet’s wingtip, with part of it apparently lodged against the tail section of the 777.
Air Canada spokesperson Sean Davidson confirmed the aircraft has been withdrawn from service for inspection and repairs.
Delta said its maintenance and airport teams in Los Angeles are assessing the A350 and apologised to customers for the delay to their travels.
Los Angeles World Airports, which operates the airport, was quick to point out that the collision happened on a taxiway rather than a runway.
A spokesperson confirmed no injuries and said flights at Los Angeles continued to operate normally throughout the day.
The Aircraft Involved
The Delta aircraft is N512DN, an Airbus A350-941 with manufacturer serial number 267.
Built in Toulouse, it first flew on 14 December 2018 under test registration F-WZGE and was delivered to Delta on 25 January 2019.
It ferried from Toulouse to Atlanta the following day and entered service on 14 February 2019.
The 7.8 year old jet carries Delta fleet number 3512 and was reconfigured to a 275 seat layout in September 2026, matching Tuesday’s passenger count exactly.
The Air Canada aircraft is C-FIVK, a Boeing 777-233LR built at Everett with manufacturer serial number 35245 and line number 689.
It first flew on 5 January 2008 and was delivered to Air Canada ten days later.
The 18.8 year old jet, fleet number 704, spent most of the pandemic in storage at Singapore, Vancouver and Victorville before returning to service on 22 December 2021.
It carries 300 passengers in a three class configuration.
Why Ground Collisions At Los Angeles Matter
Wingtip strikes on the ground rarely cause injuries, but they are far from trivial.
The A350-900 and the 777-200LR each span almost 65 metres, and composite wingtips and stabilisers can conceal damage that only detailed inspection reveals.
Both airframes need thorough structural checks before they fly again, and every day a long haul wide body sits idle at Los Angeles costs its operator a full rotation of revenue.
Tuesday’s event adds to a string of ground incidents at Los Angeles this year.
In April, a Gulfstream crossed an active runway against instructions and forced an Air France 777 crew into a high speed rejected takeoff.
Days earlier, a Frontier crew braked hard to avoid two trucks crossing their taxiway in the dark.
What Happens Next
The FAA investigation will examine the towing operation, the taxi clearances issued and the separation between the two aircraft.
The Air Canada 777 stopping short of its gate may have left its tail further into the taxiway than the Delta crew expected.
Whether the tow team, the controllers or the A350 pilots bear responsibility will only become clear once the agency reviews ground movement data and radio transcripts.
Passengers on the Tokyo service faced lengthy delays at Los Angeles while Delta sourced a replacement aircraft.
The incident is logged on the Aviation Safety Network database.
Continue to follow The Aviation Hub for more analysis and insight.
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