2 Planes Clip Wings at New York's LaGuardia Airport

Sept. 11, 2006
There was minimal damage to the aircraft and both planes returned to their gates.

Two planes clipped wings while taxiing to runways at LaGuardia on Friday night, briefly delaying air traffic, authorities said.

No one was injured, said Marc LaVorgna, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the airport.

One of the planes, Air Canada flight No. 723, which was headed to Toronto, carried 103 passengers. The other, Shuttle America flight No. 6461, operated for Delta Airlines and en route to Chicago, had 66 passengers.

Most passengers were taken off the planes and put on other flights Friday, but some were placed on early Saturday flights, according to officials from both airlines.

The planes were taken out of service until officials could investigate the cause of the collision and make sure there were no malfunctions.

Damon Alexander, a passenger on the Air Canada flight, told WCBS-TV that the impact felt like "a jolt" but that the passengers remained calm.

LaVorgna said there was minimal damage to the aircraft and that both planes returned to their gates. Air traffic was delayed at 7:20 p.m. for about an hour.

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