by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Wed September 3, 2025
Two United Airlines planes got close enough to collide into one another, hitting both tails and causing the passengers on at least one of the flights to deplane and board a different one during the busy Labor Day Weekend travel rush.
According to the FAA’s initial statement, the tail of United Airlines Flight 1871 struck the tail of United Airlines Flight 796 while backing from the gate at San Francisco International Airport. It was around 9:10 p.m. on September 1, when it was likely already dark.
The FAA is investigating the incident, though the statement reported that the incident “occurred in an area where air traffic controllers do not communicate with flights.”
According to local station ABC7 News, some passengers described the collision like an earthquake.
Luckily, there were no injuries, except for damage to both planes.
"What happened is a somewhat uncommon event, but it's not totally unheard of," NTSB News Talk Host Max Trescott told ABC7 News. "What's unusual is that the aircraft hit another aircraft. Usually what happens when this occurs, and that probably happens once a year around the world, it rolls into the tug and so there's a lot less damage."
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