Passengers on two Delta Airlines flights found themselves delayed for hours after the two Delta aircraft collided on a taxiway at Salt Lake City International Airport. 

No injuries were reported on either aircraft, however the incident raises more safety concerns as it appears the collision was avoidable. 

The Incident

The collision occurred on the evening of Saturday, July 27, 2024. Three Delta aircraft were waiting for departure from runway 16L at Salt Lake City Airport (SLC). 

The first aircraft, not involved with the collision, was an Airbus A220-100, operating DL1304 from SLC to Orange County (SNA). At the time of the incident, the wind was blowing in the same direction as the planes were to take off, generating a tailwind that decreased aircraft performance on departure. 

The pilot of DL1304 advised air traffic controllers that the tailwind was four knots too much and that they would have to run the numbers to see if they could still take off in the current wind conditions. 

Realizing a potential delay, the pilot of the third Delta aircraft, a Boeing 737-900ER operating DL2046 from SLC to Bozeman (BZN), told air traffic control that they could depart ahead of the other two jets from intersection Hotel 12 on Runway 16L. 

As there was a second Delta aircraft in front of DL2046, an Airbus A320 operating to Dallas Fort-Worth as DL2677, the controller asked the pilots of DL2046 if they had access to the runway. The pilot of DL2046 responded: “We can get in there.” 

However, the B737 did not have enough clearance to turn behind the A320. As DL2046 began making its right-hand turn onto H12 for takeoff, the aircraft’s winglet hit the tail of the A320, which was standing still directly in front of it. 

After a moment of confusion, the B737, DL2046, proceeded to taxi on the runway to return to the gate, while the A320, DL2677, made a left-hand turn behind the first aircraft and returned to the gate. Both flights were cancelled, and passengers were rerouted to their destinations on Sunday. 

According to Delta, “Delta teams worked to accommodate customers to their final destinations after the wingtip of Delta flight DL2046 made contact with a parked aircraft at SLC. We sincerely apologize for the delay to their travels.”

240 passengers were affected by the collision, split between 109 customers on DL2046 and 131 travellers on DL2677. 

A Preventable Accident?

In recent years, ground collision incidents have become more frequent. In February, two JetBlue aircraft bumped into each other on a de-icing pad at Boston Logan International Airport. 

Later that month, a Delta aircraft and a ground stairs truck collided in the Cayman Islands, and then in March, two Qantas B737s collided at Perth airport.

However, in Saturday’s collision, the pilots of DL2046 decided to try to squeeze behind the aircraft in front of it. Despite the air traffic controller’s initial hesitation, the pilots assured them that they would be able to fit in the narrow space.

This case of pilot error raises larger questions about safety in the aviation industry today. With staffing shortages at airports worldwide, unnecessary risks must be eliminated to avoid disastrous consequences.