Commercial airliners clip each other at LAX airport

Authorities at Los Angeles International Airport are investigating what caused two commercial jetliners to clip each other on the tarmac Sunday night while hundreds of passengers were aboard each plane, airport officials said.

The wings of a United Airlines flight heading toward its gate collided with the wings of an Alaska Airlines flight that was preparing to depart before 8 p.m. Sunday, said LAX spokeswoman Nancy Castles.

There was visible damage to the right horizontal stabilizer of United’s Boeing 757 aircraft and to the left winglet of Alaska’s Boeing 737, Castles said. Both jetliners were taken to hangars, where they will be assessed and repaired.

Passengers on the Alaska Airlines flight were rebooked, she said.

There were 169 passengers and six crew members aboard the United Airlines flight and 182 passengers and six crew members aboard the Alaska Airlines flight, she said. The planes collided between Terminals 6 and 7. There were no reported injuries.

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