FAA launches investigation after two planes nearly collide on Washington DC runway

A plane bound for Boston had to make an emergency stop during takeoff to avoid a collision with another plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation is underway following the incident involving American Airlines Flight 2134, which attempted to depart Logan International Airport on Wednesday morning.

The pilots of the flight, which was cleared for takeoff, had to brake at a speed of about 90 miles per hour to avoid a collision with the other plane, CBS News reported.

“Uh, we need to talk to maintenance, but yeah, I think, uh, we were over 80 knots, so we need to get an inspection done,” the pilot said as he hit the brakes, according to NBC News.

The other plane was a private jet that was initially cleared to land, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Air traffic control later asked the private plane to abort the landing, but according to CBS News, it was already on the ground.

In a statement to CBS News, American Airlines said it would assist the FAA in its investigation.

Last month, an almost identical incident occurred at the same airport. Air traffic control instructed a Southwest flight to taxi down a runway after a Jet Blue flight began to take off on an intersecting runway. The planes did not collide and missed each other by only 400 feet.

Also last month, a quick-thinking pilot faced a similar situation and prevented a collision between four planes, including his own, at New York’s JFK International Airport.

Audio recordings of the incident show that air traffic control gave a Swiss Air flight clearance to take off. However, the pilot was aware that he would collide with several other aircraft and immediately aborted the flight. This incident is also currently being investigated by the FAA.

A new study suggests that general fear of flying may increase this summer, NBC Bay Area reports. The increase is due to growing concerns about safety precautions taken by aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

Earlier this year, Boeing found itself in the public spotlight after a door plug fell off one of its planes during flight. In April, Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour testified before Congress about several safety concerns.

The quality engineer told a congressional committee that Boeing has a “culture of retaliation” when employees raise concerns.

When asked if the planes were safe, Salehpour said: “It’s like an earthquake. If something like that shakes the building, it has to be prepared for that kind of shaking. As far as I can see, the planes are not currently billed according to specification and need.”