American and Southwest jets touch at airport, breaking one's wingtip; no injuries

Some Christmas fliers got their wings clipped — literally.

Two jets at New York's LaGuardia Airport got a little too close for comfort Tuesday morning, with one ripping the wingtip off the other. No passengers on either plane were injured.

American Airlines Flight 1104 from Dallas was taxiing to its gate just before 11 a.m. as Southwest Airlines Flight 449 to Denver was departing.

The left winglet — a vertical fin at the tip of a wing designed to improve airflow and fuel efficiency — was ripped off the Southwest plane after it made contact with the American jet's left horizontal stabilizer, part of the tail. Both planes were Boeing 737s.

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Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott.