Panicked Passengers Scream at Cockpit After Terrifying Incident

Two Southwest Airlines planes clipped each other at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport late Thursday night, forcing both aircraft back to their gates and leaving stunned passengers wondering how the collision happened.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the wing of Southwest Airlines Flight 3515 made contact with the tail of Southwest Airlines Flight 3409 as one of the planes was pushing back onto the taxiway around 10:45 p.m.

my flight was delayed like 6 hours and then they hit a PARKED plane trying to leave pic.twitter.com/jxSUD2UL21

— EXN Zach (@EXN_Zach) June 12, 2026

No injuries were immediately reported, but both planes returned to their gates and passengers were taken off while crews responded to the scene.

One passenger told NBC 10 that people on board had to yell toward the cockpit after the plane allegedly kept moving following the impact. The passenger said the flight had already been delayed for six hours and the aircraft was only about half full when he was moved to a window seat.

From there, he noticed the plane getting dangerously close to another Southwest aircraft.

He said he did not think the two planes would actually collide — until they did.

The passenger claimed the plane continued taxiing after the apparent collision and said it took several passengers speaking up before anyone seemed to realize what had happened.

FlightAware showed the flight was later canceled.

Southwest Airlines said it is now investigating the incident and inspecting both aircraft.

“Southwest Airlines is aware of an incident involving two of our aircraft at Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport,” the airline said in a statement. “We are investigating further and will be thoroughly inspecting the two aircraft. In the meantime, we have reaccommodated the affected Customers. Nothing is more important to Southwest Airlines than the Safety of our Employees and our Customers.”

The FAA said it will also investigate the taxiway collision.

The incident adds to an already frustrating travel nightmare for passengers who had reportedly spent hours waiting, only for their flight to end before it ever left the ground.