Airplanes clip each other while taxiing at Newark Liberty International Airport

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) --Two airplanes taxiing while preparing for takeoff at Newark Liberty International Airport clipped each other, authorities said.

No one was injured when the planes touched around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at one of the nation's busiest airports, Federal Aviation Administration officials said. A Scandinavian Airlines plane's left wing clipped the tail of a United Airlines plane while they were on a taxiway.


The ExpressJet plane was towed back to the gate, and the Scandinavian Airlines plane taxied back to the gate, where passengers disembarked, New York's WNBC-TV reported.

The accident is being investigated. Scandinavian Airlines, which has hubs in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, didn't immediately respond to telephone messages and emails seeking comment.

ExpressJet Airlines released a statement Wednesday night saying it is "working in coordination with officials to determine a cause." All 31 passengers on the plane were re-accommodated, the airline said.

ExpressJet, which bills itself as the world's largest regional airline, operates as a United Express partner from United's Newark hub. United, which has headquarters in Chicago, is part of United Continental Holdings Inc.