NTSB Says Delta Pilot Didn’t Recall Clearance Instructions Before LaGuardia Taxiway Collision

A Delta Air Lines regional jet captain told investigators he did not recall instructions to yield to another aircraft moments before two jets collided at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on October 1, according to a preliminary report released Thursday Nov. 7 by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The report details how Delta flight 5155, carrying 32 people and preparing for takeoff to Roanoke, Virginia, struck Delta flight 5047, which had just arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina, with 61 passengers and crew on board. The low-speed collision occurred at the intersection of two taxiways, injuring one flight attendant and damaging both aircraft — gouging the nose and shattering the cockpit window of one jet and damaging the wing of the other.

According to the NTSB, the ground controller instructed the outbound flight 5155 to “give way” to another aircraft. The crew correctly read back the instruction, but the captain later told investigators he did not recall hearing the command to yield. He said he had been focused on calculating performance numbers and visually checking cockpit settings when the collision occurred.

“The captain recalled he was looking down into the cockpit to verify the airplane trim setting as part of the checklist, and when he looked up he saw flight 5047 to the right,” the report states. He attempted to steer left to avoid impact, while the captain of flight 5047 said he immediately applied brakes. Despite their efforts, the aircraft collided.

The NTSB has not yet determined the cause of the incident, and the investigation remains ongoing. The agency will continue reviewing cockpit voice recordings, air traffic control communications, and Delta’s internal procedures for ground operations.

Delta Air Lines declined to comment on the preliminary findings but said it is fully cooperating with the NTSB investigation. 

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com, apnews.com