Delta Planes Clip Wings At LAX

LOS ANGELES, CA — Two Delta jetliners clipped wings Monday at Los Angeles International Airport Monday morning, but no one was hurt in the incident.

Shortly after 7 a.m., one of the planes was being pushed back from a gate when it struck the tip of another plane's wings. The flight caused a handful of delays for holiday travelers as crews worked to examine the damage. The delays ranged from two to nine hours for a couple of flights.

"On pushback from the gate, the right winglet of flight 2377 made contact with the left wing of flight 696 parked at the adjacent gate," according to a statement from the airline. "Delta apologizes to the customers for the delay this has caused while customers from both flights will be accommodated on alternate aircraft. "

Flight 696, a Boeing 757 operating on a Los Angeles-to-Atlanta route, was delayed two hours. Flight 2377, a Boeing 737-900 operating between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, was delayed about nine hours and its passengers were accommodated on earlier flights where possible, according to Delta.

"Maintenance teams are evaluating the aircraft involved," according to the airline's statement.

Delta operates out of Terminals 2 and 3 at LAX.

City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. Photo: Shutterstock