A Delta Air Lines passenger flight narrowly avoided a potential collision with a U.S. Air Force training jet Friday afternoon near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to multiple reports. The incident occurred as Delta Flight 2983, an Airbus A319 carrying 131 passengers and five crew members, departed the airport bound for Minneapolis-St. Paul at 2:55 p.m. ET.
Aviation sources indicate the commercial aircraft came into close proximity with an Air Force T-38 Talon, a supersonic jet trainer, triggering the Airbus’s Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alarms. The automated safety system, along with the Delta flight crew’s prompt response, averted what could have been a serious incident.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people,” Delta said in a statement. “The flight crew followed procedures to maneuver the aircraft as instructed.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are expected to review the incident, which marks the latest in a series of close calls at U.S. airports that have raised concerns about aviation safety protocols. The T-38, a mainstay of Air Force pilot training, was reportedly operating in the busy airspace surrounding the nation’s capital when the incident occurred.
Air traffic control recordings and flight data will likely be examined to determine how the two aircraft came into such close proximity and whether any procedural changes are needed for military aircraft operating near civilian flight paths.
For more breaking news updates, visit DC Brief.
