United Planes Collide At LaGuardia Amid Heavy Delays And Staffing Strains
ID 71323067 | Air © Boarding1now | Dreamstime.com
What Happened
On Friday evening, October 31, 2025, two United Airlines aircraft made contact while taxiing at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
-
The arriving aircraft — a Boeing 737-824, registration N35204 — had just arrived from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) as UA580.
-
While turning in toward its gate, it struck the tail of another United Boeing 737-800 that was stationary on the taxiway and preparing to depart as UA434 to Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH).
Both aircraft returned to their gates. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
Flights & Loads
UA580 (ORD → LGA)
-
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 (738)
-
Reg: N35204
-
Arrival time: ~19:18 local
-
Onboard: 166 passengers, 8 crew
UA434 (LGA → IAH)
-
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 (738)
-
Position: Holding/stationary on taxiway for departure
-
Scheduled route: LGA–IAH
-
Onboard: 162 passengers, 7 crew
-
Status after incident: Flight canceled; customers rebooked
Both aircraft are undergoing maintenance inspection for possible tail/nose or control-surface contact before being returned to service.
Why LaGuardia Was So Backed Up
The contact happened on a day when LGA was already under pressure from:
-
Adverse weather in the New York area
-
Government shutdown–related staffing shortages
-
FAA-managed ground delay programs to slow arrivals
-
High evening taxi/stand congestion on short ramps
The FAA later said New York–area facilities saw up to 80% of controllers absent that day, which forced traffic flow reductions across the system. Nationwide, more than 5,700 flights were delayed and nearly 500 canceled the same day. LGA alone saw 569 delays and 131 cancellations.
ATC & Operational Factors
The exact cause of the taxiway contact hasn’t been released, but investigators will look at:
-
Ground/tower instructions to both United aircraft
-
Whether the arriving 737 had clear wingtip / tail clearance for the turn
-
Whether reduced ATC staffing increased controller workload
-
Surface visibility and ramp congestion at the time
Even though the contact was low speed and minor in appearance, any aircraft-to-aircraft strike requires:
-
Full engineering/structural checks
-
Crew reports and ATC tapes review
-
Possible updates to ground-movement procedures on the affected taxiway
Second October Ground Contact At LGA
This wasn’t LaGuardia’s only surface incident in October. Earlier in the month, two Delta Connection (Endeavor Air) flights also made contact at the intersection of Taxiways M and A — one arriving from Charlotte (CLT) and one holding for departure to Roanoke (ROA). That case also involved an arriving aircraft striking a stationary one, raising similar questions about ground spacing, instructions, and crew situational awareness.
Bottom Line
Two United Boeing 737-800s — UA580 (ORD–LGA), N35204 on arrival and UA434 (LGA–IAH) holding for departure — made contact on a heavily delayed, short-staffed evening at LaGuardia (LGA). Nobody was hurt, but the Houston flight was canceled and both aircraft remain under inspection. Coming on top of another taxiway incident earlier in the month, it underlines how weather + tight ramps + ATC staffing stress leave very little margin at New York airports.
