A near collision at Washington Reagan National Airport was averted on Thursday, and the incident is now being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
At 7:41 a.m., an air traffic controller told a Southwest Airlines pilot heading to Orlando to cross Runway 4, but a JetBlue flight to Boston’s Logan airport had already been cleared for takeoff.
In audio of the incident, a panicked air traffic controller can be heard yelling at both to stop immediately.
The pilots were fortunately able to come to a halt with about 300 feet to spare.
The FAA is now probing how two planes were green lit to cross paths.
"Obviously the left hand was not talking to the right hand," CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg said. He says close calls like this happen almost every day, but points out a lapse in communication unique to this case.
"What has to be investigated though is what were two controllers doing, controlling two separate flights at the same airport," Greenberg said. "That is the interesting thing and that's what they are going to have to look at."
Southwest and JetBlue are working with federal officials as the incident is investigated. (CBS News)
southwest + jetblue planes nearly collided on the runway at Reagan airport in DC today
— Gregg Re (@gregg_re) April 18, 2024
ATC directed the southwest plane to cross a runway where the Jetblue plane was already cleared to takeoff
listen to the screams in the tower
video credit: @VASAviation pic.twitter.com/RDdiwLUNl2
A review of FAA safety reports by The New York Times last year found "an alarming pattern of safety lapses and near misses in the skies and on the runways of the United States..."
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