An Airbus A319 operated by American Airlines aborted take-off from Ronald Reagan International airport in Washington, DC as a Beechcraft King Air landed on an intersecting runway on 29 May.
Operating as American flight 2134 bound for Boston, the A319 was cleared for take-off around 10:30 local time.
”An air traffic controller cancelled the take-off clearance for American Airlines Flight 2134 because another aircraft was cleared to land on an intersecting runway,” the FAA says.
According to local media reports, the King Air was instructed by air traffic control to go around but had already touched down, putting it on a conflicting path.
“The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we’re grateful to our crew for their professionalism,” American says. ”We will support the FAA and NTSB in their investigations.”
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker was asked about the near-collision during an unrelated briefing with reporters in Washington, DC on 30 May.
“I am familiar with it,” Whitaker says. “I got a briefing. We will thoroughly investigate that.”
Shortages of ATC workers has been an urgent issue for Whitaker’s FAA, especially at busy hubs in the Northeast USA, where several near-misses have prompted outcry from air travellers and lawmakers.
“This is exactly why we pushed for an independent review of whether DCA can handle additional flights,” says Mark Warner, a US senator from Virginia, opines on social media. He describes Ronald Reagan International as a “clearly packed runway”.
