Delta Pilot Didn’t Recall ‘Give Way’ Instruction Before LaGuardia Collision: NTSB
A Delta Air Lines pilot told investigators he did not recall hearing air traffic control instructions to “give way” to another aircraft moments before their planes collided on the ground at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, according to a preliminary NTSB report.
Key Takeaways
- Delta pilot didn’t recall “give way” instruction before taxiway collision
- Low-speed impact injured one flight attendant, damaged both aircraft
- NTSB investigation ongoing, no cause determined in preliminary report
- Incident involved 93 passengers and crew across two regional jets
Collision Details
On October 1, a Delta Connection flight preparing for takeoff to Roanoke, Virginia, with 32 people aboard made wing-to-fuselage contact with an arriving aircraft from Charlotte, North Carolina, carrying 61 people.
The low-speed collision at the intersection of two taxiways resulted in one flight attendant being injured and damage to both aircraft – the nose of one plane and the wing of the other.
Controller Instructions and Pilot Response
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report states that ground control explicitly instructed the outbound Flight 5155 to “give way” to another aircraft. While the flight crew read back the instructions, the captain later told investigators he didn’t recall hearing the yield command.
The pilot explained he was focused on calculating performance numbers for the landing at the time.
“The captain recalled he was looking down into the cockpit to visually verify the airplane trim setting as part of the checklist, and when he looked up he saw flight 5047 to the right,” the NTSB report stated.
Last-Moment Avoidance Attempts
Both pilots took emergency actions seconds before impact. The captain of Flight 5155 attempted to veer left to avoid the collision, while the captain of Flight 5047 applied brakes immediately before the aircraft made contact.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the preliminary report does not determine a cause for the incident between Flights 5155 and 5047.
Delta Air Lines has declined to comment on the preliminary findings, stating only that the airline is “fully cooperating with the investigation.”
