20240910018582A

ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2024, ABOUT 1007 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AN AIRBUS A350-941, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, COLLIDED WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES (MHI) CRJ-900, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHILE TAXIING FOR DEPARTURE AT HARTSFIELD-JACKSON ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ATL), ATLANTA, GEORGIA. THE CRJ WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RUNWAY 8R ON TAXIWAY H WAITING FOR TAKEOFF CLEARANCE, AND THE A350 WAS TAXIING ALONG INTERSECTING TAXIWAY E. AS THE A350 PASSED BEHIND THE CRJ, WHERE THE TAXIWAYS INTERSECTED, THE RIGHT WINGTIP OF THE A350 IMPACTED THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE CRJ, WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE EMPENNAGE OF THE CRJ AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE A350. THE PASSENGERS AND CREW ABOARD BOTH AIRPLANES WERE NOT INJURED EXCEPT FOR A FLIGHT ATTENDANT ABOARD THE CRJ, WHO SUSTAINED A MINOR INJURY. THE A350 WAS OPERATING AS A SCHEDULED INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER FLIGHT FROM ATL TO TOKYO HANEDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (HND), TOKYO, JAPAN. THE CRJ WAS OPERATING AS A REGULARLY SCHEDULED DOMESTIC PASSENGER FLIGHT FROM ATL TO LAFAYETTE REGIONAL AIRPORT (LFT), LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA.

THE FDR AND CVR WERE RETRIEVED FROM BOTH AIRPLANES BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 10 AND 11, 2024, BY AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS (AMT) AND NTSB PERSONNEL. BOTH CVRS WERE SENT TO THE NTSB.

FOUR FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS CONSISTING OF A CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER (FO), A RELIEF CAPTAIN, AND A RELIEF FO WERE ON THE FLIGHT DECK OF THE A350. THE CAPTAIN WAS THE PILOT FLYING AND THE FO WAS THE PILOT MONITORING.

ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS FROM THE FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS, THE PILOT FLYING BRIEFED THE LONG RUNWAY (09L) NORMALLY USED FOR HEAVY AIRCRAFT WAS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION. THEREFORE, THEY WOULD BE TAXIING TO, AND DEPARTING FROM, RUNWAY 8R.

AFTER PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE, THE FLIGHT CREW RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO PROCEED NORTH ON TAXIWAY D, AND HOLD SHORT OF TAXIWAY G. THEY TAXIED THE AIRPLANE AS INSTRUCTED AND RECEIVED

FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI ON TAXIWAY G AND HOLD SHORT OF TAXIWAY F. THEY WERE THEN CLEARED TO TAXI ON TAXIWAY F AND TRANSITION TO TAXIWAY E.

AFTER THE A350 TURNED ONTO TAXIWAY E, GROUND CONTROL INSTRUCTED THE FLIGHT CREW TO HAVE THE AIRPLANE FOLLOW THE CRJ ON TAXIWAY E AND SWITCH TO TOWER FREQUENCY. AS THE A350 CONTINUED TO TAXI ON TAXIWAY E, THE FLIGHT CREW OBSERVED THE NAVIGATIONAL ALERT MESSAGE, "NAV GNSS-2," ON THE LOWER ELECTRONIC CENTRALIZED AIRCRAFT MONITOR (ECAM). THE FO INFORMED THE TOWER THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO STOP TO COORDINATE WITH MAINTENANCE BEFORE DEPARTURE. ATC INSTRUCTED THE CREW TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TAXIWAY E AS ABLE AND HOLD SHORT OF TAXIWAY V TO WORK ON THE PROBLEM. THE CAPTAIN INDICATED THAT, AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION WITH TAXIWAY V, HE WAS LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD AND TO THE LEFT TO AVOID THE LEFT WINGTIP FROM IMPINGING OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC COMING OFF TAXIWAY V.

AT THAT TIME, THE RIGHT WINGTIP OF THE A350 IMPACTED THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE CRJ, WHICH WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RUNWAY 8R AT TAXIWAY H. FOLLOWING THE COLLISION, THE CAPTAIN STOPPED THE A350 AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. AFTER AIRPORT RESCUE AND FIREFIGHTING (ARFF) EXAMINED THE EXTERIOR OF THE A350, THE CREW WAS GIVEN CLEARANCE FOR THE AIRPLANE TO RETURN TO THE GATE.

THE CAPTAIN WAS THE PILOT FLYING ON THE CRJ.THEY TAXIED TO 8R VIA TAXIWAY E. THEY COMPLETED THE BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKLIST AND SWITCHED TO TOWER FREQ. THE CAPT INDICATED THAT SHE MANUEVERED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND WAITED FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC.