Southwest Airlines has opened an investigation after two of its aircraft made contact at Rhode Island’s T.F. Green International Airport.
The incident came to wider attention after a passenger shared a photo on X that appeared to show a jet with damage to its wing against the night sky.
The caption on that post said:
“My flight was delayed like 6 hours and then they hit a PARKED plane trying to leave.”
Another social media user also described what they believed had happened:
“Happening now! A Southwest Boeing B737-8H4 aircraft (N8525S) hit another Southwest B737 aircraft (parked) and clipped its (own) winglet while taxiing at Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD) moments ago. The aircraft was operating flight SWA3515 from Providence.”
Southwest has since confirmed it is looking into the incident, which is said to have taken place in Warwick, Rhode Island, on June 11.
Speaking to The Post, the airline said it is ‘aware of an incident involving two of our aircraft.’
It added:
“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.”
Per The Post, one of the aircraft had been scheduled to depart Providence at 4:25 pm for Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC. That detail was also reported by X account FL360Aero.
Local reporting said the contact happened on the ground as one Southwest aircraft was pushing back and preparing for departure, with its wingtip striking the tail of another Southwest jet that was parked nearby at the gate area.
SimpleFlying reported that both planes involved were also facing significant delays.
Local outlet WCVB said the ground incident happened as Southwest flight WN3515 pushed back and prepared for departure, before its wingtip struck the tail of another aircraft.
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
10 WJAR later reported that some passengers allegedly noticed something was wrong before the crew did and shouted until the damage was identified.
After the collision, both planes returned to the terminal. Their flights were then canceled and moved to a later date.
No injuries were reported, and there has been no indication of a fire, fuel leak, or emergency evacuation.
The Federal Aviation Administration had not, at the time of writing, published a detailed public incident statement specifically identifying the Providence ground collision, though such reports can appear later as information is verified.
Runway and ground collisions are uncommon, though aviation history has seen far more serious cases. In the US, these events are typically investigated first for operational and safety lessons, even when the damage appears limited and no one is hurt.
For Southwest, the episode is the latest in a string of operational incidents to draw attention to ground handling and airport-surface safety across the wider industry, an area regulators have treated as a continuing focus in recent years.
One of the most infamous examples remains the Tenerife airport disaster. On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided in the Canary Islands, killing 583 people and making it the deadliest accident in aviation history.