Air France Clips Delta Airlines

A mammoth Air France aircraft (the A380) touched a Delta Airlines flight (a CRJ - commuter-style, jet airplane) and spun it like a spinning top as it passed by. The incident occurred at JFK International Airport, and is being investigated. In this rare case, seatbelts on and passengers seated avoids injury. The Los Angeles Times is one of the many media outlets reporting the occurrence, and with a link to the video.

The biggest risks would have been if the odd passenger - and I think most air travelers have spotted at least one of these - had stood up before the flight was parked and started gathering their carry-on luggage from the overhead bins. In a spin like the one that just occurred, an open overhead bin could launch carry-on luggage, potentially injuring seated passengers. And of course, standing would mean being flung into something hard like an armrest, or into the unwilling arms of a fellow passenger.

In any case, the stunning moments captured on amateur video showed how quickly, and voraciously, the bigger plane hit and spun the smaller one.