On February 5, 2025, a Japan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner collided with a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800 while taxiing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the right wing of JAL Flight 68 struck the tail of Delta Flight 1921 in a non-controlled taxi area.
The Delta Boeing 737-800 was positioned for deicing ahead of its scheduled departure to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, carrying 142 passengers. Meanwhile, the Japan Airlines 787-9 had just completed a long-haul journey from Tokyo Narita (NRT), with 172 passengers and 13 crew members on board.
The FAA stated, “The right wing of Japan Airlines Flight 68 struck the tail of Delta Air Lines Flight 1921 while the planes were taxiing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport around a.m. local time on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The aircraft were in an area that is not under air traffic control. The FAA temporarily paused some flights to the airport as a result of the incident.”
No Injuries Reported
Despite the contact, no injuries were reported among passengers or crew on either aircraft.
Delta acknowledged the incident in a statement, saying, “While in sequence for deicing, the tail of a Delta 737 aircraft reportedly made contact with a wing tip of another airline’s aircraft. There are no reports of injuries for crew or customers on the flight, and we apologize for the experience and delay in travels.”
Following the incident, operations at SEA were briefly disrupted as authorities assessed the situation. The extent of the damage to both aircraft remains unclear, and the FAA has launched an investigation into the cause of the collision.
It is not yet known whether either aircraft will require extensive repairs before returning to service. Additionally, both Japan Airlines and Delta Air Lines are expected to conduct internal reviews of the event.
