Photo: DANIEL SLIM / AFP / Getty Images
Federal aviation officials are investigating a close call between a Delta Air Lines passenger plane and a U.S. Air Force jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The incident occurred on Friday (March 28) as Delta Flight 2983, bound for Minneapolis, took off around 3:15 p.m. The flight, carrying 131 passengers, two pilots, and three flight attendants, received an alert indicating a nearby aircraft, prompting air traffic controllers to issue corrective instructions to both aircraft, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Air Force jet, a T-38 Talon, was part of a group of four jets en route to Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover. The FAA has confirmed it will investigate the incident. Delta Air Lines stated that their flight crew followed the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) instructions, emphasizing that "nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people."
The close call comes nearly two months after a fatal collision at the same airport involving an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which resulted in 67 fatalities. This incident has heightened scrutiny on flight operations around the busy Washington, D.C., airspace.