Bombardier Inc CL-600-2D24 N302PQ and Airbus A350-941 N503DN accident near College Park, Georgia

Probable cause

Delta Air Lines flight crew’s loss of situation awareness of the clearance between their right wingtip and the empennage of an Endeavor Air airplane holding on a perpendicular taxiway, resulting in their wingtip colliding with the other airplane’s empennage. Contributing to the collision was the Endeavor Air flight crew stopping too far from the hold short line, resulting in insufficient clearance for the Delta Air Lines airplane to pass.

NTSB analysis

As Delta Air Lines flight 295 (DAL295) was taxiing behind Endeavor Air dba Delta Connection flight 5526 (EDV5526), the right wingtip of DAL295 impacted the vertical stabilizer of EDV5526 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia, resulting in separation of the vertical stabilizer. EDV5526 was holding short of runway 8R on taxiway H waiting for a takeoff clearance as DAL295 was taxiing on taxiway E to hold short of taxiway V. EDV5526 stopped about 56 ft from the hold short line, resulting in insufficient clearance for an A350 to pass behind it on taxiway E. At the time of the collision, the captain of DAL295 was focused on ensuring the airplane’s left wingtip would not impinge on traffic exiting taxiway V while the first officer (FO) of DAL295 was locating taxiway V on the navigation display and electronic flight bag (EFB). As a result, neither the captain nor the FO of DAL295 identified the loss of clearance between their right wingtip and the empennage of EDV5526.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DCA24FA299 for the full record.