Near-accident at Reagan National Airport raises concerns for federal government

In the busy skies over Washington DC, a harrowing near-collision is causing concern among federal officials. The drama unfolded on the tarmac of Reagan National Airport, where an American Airlines jet about to enter the ocean of air was forced to abort its takeoff at the end of the runway, narrowly avoiding a collision with a landing aircraft on an intersecting runway.

This was not the first nerve-wracking scene involving a potential disaster at the busy airport. A similar incident occurred six weeks earlier, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s investigative lens was focused on an air traffic controller who was in control of the turbulent situation on Wednesday.

This unsung guardian of the skies, responsible for orchestrating the delicate ballet of arrivals and departures in the air, had revoked the takeoff clearance for American Airlines Flight 2134, anticipating a daunting scenario as another aircraft was simultaneously cleared to land on the intersection runway. LiveATC.net’s attentive ears caught the heartbreaking exchange as the controller communicated the revocation of the takeoff clearance to the American Airlines pilots, who promptly acknowledged receipt of the instruction.

An American Airlines spokesperson summed up the situation, reiterating the airline’s unwavering commitment to ensuring “the safety of our customers and employees.” He praised the crew for their resounding professionalism in efficiently responding to the sudden change in circumstances. The spokesperson also assured the public that the airline will provide full cooperation to federal investigators investigating this incident.

After the second, smaller aircraft landed safely on the tarmac, American Airlines Flight 2134 set off from Washington to Boston without further incident after a delay of about four hours. The information was provided by the reliable online flight tracker FlightAware.

Just last month, a similarly tense situation played out on the runways at Reagan National Airport. In that earlier incident, air traffic control officials cleared a Southwest Airlines flight to cross a runway used by a JetBlue plane that was ready to take off. It was only when both planes were instructed to cease movement that disaster was narrowly averted. That incident, too, is under the scrutiny of the FAA’s ongoing investigation.

Following these disturbing incidents, lawmakers from Virginia and Maryland were quick to use the situation to bolster their arguments against expanding flight operations at the airport. Earlier this month, however, Congress gave the green light to additional long-haul flights both to and from Reagan National, seemingly brushing aside concerns about flight safety at the affected airport.