Two planes collide on the tarmac in Atlanta

Can you even do that?

I think the pic you're referring to is just the angle, there is a hill there. From behind the aircraft is still on its wheels.

Yeah. Unless those emergency vehicles were somehow teleported into the tarmac. Obviously it's at an angle and the tarmac isn't completely flat.
 
Screenshot 2024-09-10 at 4.09.30 PM.webp
 
The CRJ is now a parts donor and the A350 will require weeks of work. To have sheared off the tail of the CRJ was not a minor brush-by.
Good that nobody was hurt, although many might have needed clean underwear.
 
In the ATC audio, the A350 asked to stop before the collision point (in line behind the CRJ) to work on an issue. The ground controller asked them to move past the point of the collision and hold there to work on their issue. Makes sense because they’d block other planes wanting to depart behind the CRJ and A350.

My guess is they were distracted working with their issue while taxiing and just didn’t realize they were too close.
 
In the ATC audio, the A350 asked to stop before the collision point (in line behind the CRJ) to work on an issue. The ground controller asked them to move past the point of the collision and hold there to work on their issue. Makes sense because they’d block other planes wanting to depart behind the CRJ and A350.

My guess is they were distracted working with their issue while taxiing and just didn’t realize they were too close.
I haven’t heard the audio. The first officer going “heads down” during taxi is something that we brief and manage in real time.

From the left seat, the captain cannot see the right wing, or the entire right side of the airplane. The captain can’t actually see the left-wing either, but at least has an unobstructed view of the left side of the airplane.

So, anytime you get ready to move the aircraft, there’s a verification that both pilots have checked their respective sides of the airplane to be “clear.

If the A350 in this case, had a problem that they were “working”, it’s pretty likely that the first officer was “heads down” looking at either a manual, or a system status page, or radio frequency or whatever.

Taxiing the aircraft with the FO “heads down“ is a high-risk operation.

For example, I will not allow the FO to go “heads down“ when we are in the ramp area at Newark. The only time that “heads down“ is appropriate is when the aircraft is stopped and the parking brake is set. Once we start moving the airplane in that crowded area, he’s got to be heads up, or I don’t move, and I don’t really care what ground or ramp has going on.

We are not moving the airplane until I can have the FO visually verify that the right side of the airplane is clear.

Once we are established on taxiway, and I can see that it’s clear for a while, then yes, it’s appropriate to go “heads down“ while we are taxiing the airplane. But if there’s any doubt, or there’s any potential conflicts or clearance issues, I bring the FO back “heads up” And we make sure that we’re clear.

One final note, the very first thing that we do with new crew on the airplane is a “taxi geometry demonstration“. We put the pilot who’s new to the aircraft in their seat, and then I walk around on the ramp (wearing my reflective, safety vest, of course 😎) and I show them how far away the main landing gear, the engine, and the wing tip are from their seat.
 
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A350 crew at fault but the CRJ should have moved as close as possible to the runway hold short line ( unless they were still taxiing ).

If you are not 100% sure, stop, ask ATC and only continue if YOU the pilot are sure you have enough room.

CRJ tail was way too close to the taxiway centre line.

Drives me nuts when I see planes not moving up to the hold short line when taxiing.

Daylight, perfect visibility on top of that.
 
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A delta A350 made contact at wingtip with a CRJ basically snapping CRJ tail down on taxi way at Atlanta.

Is the CRJ junk or can they fix key structural element of a plane:

IMG_3763.webp
 
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