A Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 carrying 136 passengers had a near miss with a military jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Friday 28 March. The incident followed the mid-air collision close to the airport in January, which killed 67 people.
Delta Flight 2983 was preparing for takeoff when four Air Force T-38 Talon supersonic jet trainers approached the airport. However, air traffic controllers intervened, warning of the aircraft’s close proximity and instructing the pilots to alter their courses, thus avoiding a potential collision.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced in mid-March that it was taking a series of steps to improve safety around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport following the fatal collision in January, based on recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). These primarily include restrictions on non-essential helicopter operations around the airport and eliminating helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic. The FAA is also now investigating Friday’s incident to determine the cause of the near-miss.
The incident on Friday was followed on Sunday 29 March, by a kite reportedly hitting a United Airlines flight as it landed at the airport. Reports were received of a kite being flown in the nearby Gravelly Park to the north of the runway before it hit the aircraft. However, it landed safely, and there were no reports of any damage. Federal regulations prohibit kite flying near an airport.
Image: Delta Air Lines
