The NTSB has launched an investigation into the wingtip clipping that occurred between an Air France Airbus A380 (F-HPJD) and a Comair Bombardier CRJ700 (N641CA) at New York JFK International Airport last night.

Preliminary reports indicate that at 8:25 p.m. local time, the left wingtip of Air France Flight 7 struck the left horizontal stabilizer of Comair Flight 293 while the CRJ700 airplane taxied to its gate. Amateur video showed the force of the A380 violently spinning the CRJ nearly 45 degrees. The A380 carried 485 passengers and 25 crewmembers, and the CRJ carried 52 passengers and four crew. No injuries resulted from the incident, but the respective airlines grounded both airplanes for repair.

The NTSB has requested the fight recorders from both aircraft and said it will review the content of those devices as part of the investigation. The NTSB also plans to review the air traffic control tapes and ground movement radar data.

Parties to the investigation include the FAA, Comair and the Air Line Pilots Association. Also, accredited representatives from the French Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (BEA), the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) and their advisors from Airbus, Air France and Bombardier Aerospace are assisting the investigation.