A Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by American Eagle has been grounded after suffering significant damage yesterday while on the apron at Omaha Eppley Airfield in Nebraska. The aircraft had just arrived as Flight 5103 from 
Philadelphia International Airport, and was hit at the gate by a lavatory service truck, which punched a hole in the fuselage just aft of the cockpit.
The aircraft, registration N617NN, is owned and operated by PSA Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 
American Airlines. PSA currently has a fleet of 148 CRJs, including both the -900 and -700 variants. The CRJ-900 has had a particularly rough 2025, with a number of high-profile accidents and incidents, including a dramatic hull loss at 
Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Perforating The Aircraft Skin
PSA flies the three-hour flight from Philadelphia to Omaha twice daily, and yesterday’s Flight 5103 had landed and taxied to the gate without incident. Passengers were still disembarking the flight when a lavatory service truck connecting to the aircraft backed up and collided with it. The impact perforated the fuselage skin aft of the cockpit, causing significant damage that grounded the plane for repairs.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the passengers still on board the aircraft at the time of the incident, or any of the ground crew. The aircraft was destined to return to Philadelphia, but due to its grounding, PSA was forced to bring in an alternative aircraft from 
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, which led to a more than four hour delay for outbound passengers.
Images from the scene show the truck embedded in the underside of the aircraft, with the service hose still attached. Airport operations continued without major disruptions, but the event prompted an immediate investigation by authorities to determine the cause, likely involving human error or mechanical failure with the truck.
A Closer Look At PSA Airlines
The year started tragically for PSA Airlines with the crash of American Airlines Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ-700, at 
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. But since then, the company has been moving in a positive direction, including the opening of a new pilot and maintenance base in Knoxville over the summer, and the relocation of its headquarters to Charlotte. PSA currently serves over 20,000 travelers per day on 180 daily departures from 
Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
|
The PSA Airlines Fleet: October 2025 |
||
|
Aircraft Type |
Number In Fleet |
Average Age (Years) |
|
Bombardier CRJ-700 |
60 |
19.5 |
|
Bombardier CRJ-900 |
88 |
9.4 |
|
Total |
148 |
13.5 |
Another highlight is that the airline has also restored full staffing post-pandemic and resurrected all parked aircraft. PSA now operates more than 750 daily flights across the US, with a concentration at American Airlines’ hubs in Charlotte, Dallas, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Dion Flannery, CEO of PSA Airlines had the following to say about the progress being made:
“PSA is on a well-planned growth trajectory that involves more team members flying more aircraft and customers as we continue to expand and enhance our operation.”
The airline is also expanding its all-CRJ fleet, which is currently made up of 60 CRJ-700s and 88 CRJ-900s. It is in the process of introducing 14 additional CRJ-900s that its parent acquired from Mesa Airlines, with all aircraft also going through a cabin upgrade. The first example entered the fleet in July, and PSA will have a fleet of over 150 aircraft once the final example is in place.
2025 Has Been A Rough Year For CRJ-900s
The CRJ-900 is the most popular of the stretched CRJ variants, with 487 of the type produced between 2001 and 2021. It is a very reliable regional jet, but has faced several notable incidents in 2025. These include the following:
- February 17: Delta Connection Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, crashed upon landing at Toronto. The aircraft overturned on the runway after a hard landing, but miraculously no fatalities were reported.
-
March 16: A Delta Connection flight operated by Endeavor Air struck its left wing on the runway during landing at New York’s
LaGuardia Airport
, classified as a near-accident. - September 11: A PSA Airlines CRJ-900 experienced a sudden loss of cabin pressure while climbing out from Washington DC, forcing an emergency return to the airport.
- October 2: Two Delta Connection CRJ-900s operated by Endeavor Air collided at low speed while taxiing at LaGuardia, causing structural damage to both aircraft but, fortunately, no serious injuries.
On a positive note, a Delta Connection CRJ-900 that was struck by a Delta A350-900 at 
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta last year has been fully repaired and returned to service. The regional jet had its entire vertical and horizontal stabilizers knocked off the fuselage, resulting in a subsequent year-long hiatus from commercial operations.
