On September 10, 2024, a Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900 collided with a Delta Connection CRJ-900 while taxiing in Atlanta. The collision knocked the tail off of the regional jet but, now, we have an interesting update on the aircraft.
Delta CRJ-900 Flies Again After Tail Repairs
Last year, two Delta Air Lines planes collided while taxiing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). The incident happened as both aircraft were taxiing for departure.
The incident involved N503DN, a Airbus A350-900 operating as Delta Flight 253 to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), and N302PQ, a Bombardier CRJ-900 operating as Delta Flight 5526 to Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) in Louisiana. The CRJ-900 was being operated by Endeavor Air on behalf of Delta Connection.
The CRJ-900 involved in the incident, was, at the time, an 11 year old CRJ-900. At the time the incident occurred, I speculated that the aircraft would be written off due to its age and the extensive repairs that would be necessary to make it airworthy again.
Delta it seems saw something that I didn’t and, over the last 13 months, the airplane has been repaired and was returned to revenue service today. The jet, with a new, unpainted, tail, was ferried from Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN) to Endeavor Air’s maintenance facility at Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) earlier this week before operating a revenue flight to Delta’s hub at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) this morning.
Personally I’m shocked, but also extremely impressed with the lengths that Delta went to to get this aircraft airworthy again. It would be interesting to see the steps necessary to pull off a repair of this magnitude.
Summary
A Delta Connection CRJ-900, operated by Endeavor Air, has returned to revenue service more than a year after a collision with an Airbus A350 knocked the plane’s tail section off. The aircraft returned to service 13 months to the day after the initial incident occurred.
