A Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900 struck the horizontal stabilizer of an Air Canada Boeing 777-200LR on a taxiway at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. No injuries were reported. Both widebody aircraft were removed from service for inspection, while the Federal Aviation Administration opened an investigation into the taxi and towing sequence.
The contact occurred at about 10:30 a.m. local time. Delta Flight DL7 was taxiing for departure to Tokyo Haneda when the left wingtip of Airbus A350-941 N512DN struck the right horizontal stabilizer of Air Canada Boeing 777-233LR C-FIVK. The Air Canada aircraft had just completed Flight AC785 from Toronto Pearson and was being towed toward its gate after arrival.
According to the FAA, the Air Canada 777 had stopped short of its gate when the collision occurred. Delta said 275 passengers and 15 crew members were aboard the A350. Neither airline reported any injuries.
Accident photo: @aviationbrk / X. Social-media image reproduced with source credit.
Two long-haul aircraft grounded while LAX keeps operating
Images taken after the incident show visible damage to the Delta A350’s left wingtip and to the Air Canada 777’s horizontal stabilizer. The precise extent of the structural damage has not yet been established. Even a low-speed ground impact can require detailed inspection of composite structures, attachment points and surrounding areas before an aircraft can be cleared to return to service.
Air Canada confirmed that its Boeing 777 would be taken out of service for inspection and repairs. Delta said its maintenance and airport teams were assessing the A350 and working to accommodate DL7 passengers. If either aircraft remains grounded for an extended period, the consequences may spread beyond the two directly affected flights through aircraft substitutions and schedule changes.
The event did not amount to a runway closure or an airport-wide operational shutdown. Los Angeles World Airports said the collision took place on a taxiway and that flights at LAX continued to operate normally. That distinction matters: the incident had a significant effect on the two aircraft involved without, at this stage, producing a major disruption across the airport.
Investigators will reconstruct the ground-movement geometry
The FAA is investigating the circumstances of the contact, and the National Transportation Safety Board has also been notified. Investigators are expected to examine the exact position of the 777 during the tow, the A350’s taxi path, ground-control clearances and the lateral separation available as the Delta aircraft passed behind the Air Canada jet.
No authority has assigned responsibility to the Delta crew, the towing team, ground control or any other party. The fact that the Boeing 777 had stopped short of its gate does not by itself establish why the A350 continued along its path or whether the available clearance matched what each party expected.
Both aircraft are long-haul widebodies with wingspans close to 65 metres. Their size makes ground manoeuvring and wingtip clearance a significant operational consideration, but it does not establish a cause. Investigators will need radio communications, airport surface-movement data, witness accounts and technical inspections before drawing conclusions.
What is established is therefore limited but clear: DL7 was taxiing for departure, AC785 had arrived from Toronto and was under tow, the A350’s left wingtip struck the 777’s horizontal stabilizer, no injuries were reported and both aircraft were grounded. What remains uncertain is the extent of the repairs, how long each aircraft will be unavailable and the exact chain of decisions that led to the contact.
Main sources: FAA, Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, Los Angeles World Airports, Aviation Safety Network, CBS Los Angeles.
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