American jet clips United jet on O'Hare taxiway; passenger says it felt like 'minor earthquake'
The tail of a United Airlines plane was struck Wednesday morning while on a taxiway at O'Hare Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed.
The incident happened around 9:50 a.m. when American Airlines Flight 1979 hit the tail of United Airlines Flight 219 while the aircraft were taxiing on different taxiways, according to a spokesperson with the FAA.
There were 293 passengers and 10 crew on board the Boeing 787 as it prepared for takeoff to Honolulu. A spokesperson with United and Chicago Fire Department officials confirmed there were no reported injuries.
Among those on board the United flight was Mark Wieting, who is traveling to Honolulu with his wife and adult daughter to visit family.
The plane was stationary when passengers felt a shudder similar to a "minor earthquake," Wieting said.
"Clearly, it wasn’t a bump in the runway," Wieting, 79, said. "The plane went back and forth a little bit."
Minutes after the incident, a pilot informed passengers that their plane was clipped and that there was possible damage to the tail, according to Wieting.
Passengers remained on board until about 11:30 a.m., Wieting said. A new departure on a different plane was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. — five hours after his flight was scheduled to take off.
The aircraft is undergoing a thorough inspection by United's maintenance team, the airline said in a statement.
Despite the delays, Wieting praised United for "doing the best job it can."
"[United] is trying to make it as pleasant as possible given the unpleasant situation."
The FAA is investigating.