A Delta Air Lines flight departing from Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., narrowly avoided a collision with an Air Force jet shortly after takeoff.
Videos by Suggest
The incident took place shortly after Delta Flight 2983, an Airbus A319, departed Reagan International Airport at approximately 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time on March 28, en route to Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, per CBS News.
At the same time, four U.S. Air Force T-38 Talons were en route to Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover, according to the FAA. Flight data from FlightRadar.com via CBS News showed that one of the jets was flying at an altitude of 875 feet.
The Delta flight “received an onboard alert that another aircraft was nearby.” Meanwhile, “air traffic controllers issued corrective instructions to both aircraft,” the FAA explained.
The proximity of the fighter jet to the passenger plane remains uncertain. According to a Delta spokesperson, the flight was carrying 131 passengers, along with two pilots and three flight attendants, at the time of the incident, as reported by CBS News.
According to the Delta spokesperson, the flight crew adhered to guidance from the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System, an FAA technology designed to minimize the risk of mid-air collisions.
A Delta Airlines Pilot: “Was There an Actual Aircraft About 500 Feet Below Us?”
One of the Delta pilots reportedly acknowledged the close call with the Air Force jet.
“Was there an actual aircraft about 500 feet below us as we came off DCA?” one of the Delta pilots asked Reagan air traffic controllers after the near collision.
“Delta 2983, affirmative,” the departure controller shot back, per audio from LiveATC.net obtained by CBS News.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people,” a Delta spokesperson told CBS News. “That’s why the flight crew followed procedures to maneuver the aircraft as instructed.”
Both flights proceeded to their destinations safely and without any issues.
This near collision follows the tragic midair crash on January 29 between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport. The incident, claiming 67 lives, stands as the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since 2001.