United Airlines Boeing 737 Hits ANA Cargo 777F at Chicago O’Hare

A United Airlines (UA) Boeing 737-900ER clipped the tail of an All Nippon Airways (NH) Cargo Boeing 777F while taxiing to the gate at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, on Thursday, May 21, 2026. The United flight, UA1834, had just arrived from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, when its winglet made contact with the tail of ANA Cargo flight NH8421, which was stationary and awaiting clearance to depart for Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT), Tokyo. Aviation safety protocols immediately mandated that both aircraft be grounded pending structural inspections.

No injuries were reported among the 154 passengers and 7 crew members aboard the United flight, and passengers deplaned normally at the gate. ANA Cargo confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that it is actively working with the relevant authorities to verify the extent of the damage. The contact is believed to have been a light scrape, but standard airworthiness procedures require a thorough inspection before either aircraft can return to service — a process that could ground both jets for several days.

Air Traffic Control Transcripts Reveal How the Incident Unfolded

The granular sequence of events emerged from air traffic control (ATC) recordings published by LiveATC.net. Controllers at O’Hare directed ANA flight NH8421 to hold position immediately after they suspected contact had occurred. The ATC then instructed the ANA crew to vacate the runway and taxi to taxiway Mike while the situation was assessed.

The transcript, widely circulated among aviation observers, captures the exchange in its entirety:

ATC: “All Nippon 8421 Heavy, just hold position please.”

Pilot: “Okay.”

ATC: “All Nippon 8421 Heavy, I have to taxi you off of the runway. So, uhh, another aircraft might have clipped your tail. So I need you to taxi forward down the runway and then turn left at taxiway Mike, and I will have more for you there. Taxi forward, turn left on Mike, and I will have more for you.”

Pilot: “Did we get any damage to the aircraft?”

ATC: “I’m not sure, we’re gonna find that out, but there’s a possible uhh, aircraft winglet that might have struck your tail. We’re not sure just yet, we’re gonna find out what’s up.”

Pilot: “Okay.”

The exchanges reveal a textbook application of surface incident protocol, with the controller prioritising the physical clearance of the runway before committing to a damage assessment. Aviation insider JonNYC confirmed on social media that the initial assessment pointed to a light scrape with very minor damage.

Both Airlines Confirmed the Incident in Separate Statements

ANA was prompt in its public acknowledgement of the event. The Japanese carrier issued a statement to Simple Flying confirming awareness of the incident without speculating on causation or damage severity, noting:

“All Nippon Airways (ANA) is aware of an incident involving flight NH8421 and a United aircraft at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). We are working with relevant authorities to verify information.”

United Airlines followed with its own brief confirmation, characterising the contact as minimal and noting that its passengers were unaffected:

“While taxiing to the gate, a United 737 lightly scraped the tail of another aircraft. Customers deplaned normally at the gate.”

Both statements, while deliberately measured, confirm the sequence that ATC transcripts had already outlined. Neither airline disclosed a projected return-to-service timeline, which is standard practice when damage assessments are still ongoing.

Specifications of the Aircraft Involved

Both aircraft involved in the incident are owned outright by their respective airlines. The United aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-924ER registered as N75433, with the manufacturer serial number (MSN) 33527. It performed its first test flight on March 10, 2009, was originally delivered to Continental Airlines on March 20, 2009, and transferred to United Airlines following the Continental merger in November 2011, planespotters.net reported. At 17.2 years of age, it is among the older narrowbodies in United’s fleet.

The ANA Cargo aircraft was a Boeing 777-F registered as JA771F, with MSN 65756. It is the same aircraft that made history as the first ANA Boeing 777F to operate transpacific cargo services to Chicago O’Hare, launching that Narita–Chicago route in October 2019. The aircraft conducted its first flight on November 12, 2018, and entered ANA’s fleet on May 23, 2019, making it 7.5 years old.

Photo: Thomas Woodtli | Wikimedia Commons

What Comes Next for Both Aircraft

The immediate priority for both United and ANA Cargo engineering teams is to complete the structural assessment of the contact zone — the winglet of the 737-900ER and the tail section of the 777F. Engineers will examine for cracks, deformations, or any compromise to control surfaces or structural frames. Repair timelines depend entirely on what that assessment reveals; a superficial scrape to a composite winglet tip may require only a brief inspection and cosmetic repair, while damage to primary structure demands a far more extensive intervention.

ANA Cargo will need to evaluate the operational impact on its Narita–Chicago freight corridor and determine whether a substitute freighter can be deployed. United, for its part, will work through its standard insurance and incident reporting processes and file the necessary disclosures with the FAA. Both carriers are currently coordinating with relevant authorities, as confirmed in their respective statements. The FAA has not yet issued a formal statement on whether it will open an investigation, though the agency typically does so for ground contact events of this nature.