A passenger flight preparing to take off near Washington DC and an incoming US military jet received instructions to divert and prevent a possible collision on Friday, officials said.
The close call at Ronald Reagan Washington National airport came about two months after a passenger jet and US army helicopter collided near the airport, killing all 67 people onboard both aircraft. The earlier crash, on 29 January, prompted federal investigators to recommend a ban on some helicopter flights in that area.
On Friday, Delta Air Lines Flight 2983 was cleared for takeoff at the Reagan airport at about 3.15pm, at the same time four US air force T-38 Talon aircraft were inbound, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.
The jets were heading for a flyover of Arlington National Cemetery when the Delta aircraft received an onboard alert of a nearby aircraft. Air traffic controllers “issued corrective instructions to both aircraft”, according to the FAA, which intends to investigate.
The Airbus A319 with 131 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants was embarking on a regularly scheduled flight between Reagan and Minneapolis-St Paul international airport, Delta said.
The flight left its gate at 2.55pm and was scheduled to arrive at Minneapolis-St Paul at 4.36pm local time before the flight crew followed the diversion instructions from the controllers, the airline said.
Air traffic control audio on the website LiveATC.net captured the pilot on Friday’s flight saying at one point: “On that departure … was there an actual aircraft about 500 feet below us as we came off?”
As CNN reported, the departure controller replied to the pilot: “Delta 2983, affirmative.”
No injuries were reported.
The air force’s website describes the T-38 Talon as “a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer” used by different departments and agencies, including Nasa, for various roles including pilot training.
Later, on Saturday, a United Airlines flight from Houston landing at Reagan airport appeared to have struck a kite while landing. The plane landed safely and was not damaged, the airline said in a statement to CBS.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
