Nigh-Miss in the Nation's Capital Skies
Investigation uncovers lapse at Reagan National Airport: controllers neglected to halt flights during military flyover, potentially resulting in near-collisions.
An investigation delves deep into the report of a close call between a Delta Air Lines flight and a formation of military jets, just shy of Reagan National Airport. Sources close to the situation spilled the beans to CNN.
This nerve-wracking event occurred on March 28, echoing the tragic mid-air collision between a commercial flight and an Army helicopter in the same Washington D.C. airspace back in January. The unsettling similarity has amplified concerns surrounding the safety of our commercial and military aircraft when sharing the same airspace.
As brought to light by CNN, the preceding night, a heated argument broke out in the Reagan National control tower, resulting in the arrest of an air traffic controller.
Reviewing previously unheard air traffic control tapes, CNN discovered that collision alerts flashed in front of the controller responsible for directing the military jet formation as they executed a flyover at Arlington National Cemetery. The controller frantically issued instructions to the leader of the T-38 Air Force jets, warning them to make a sharp left turn, all the while alerting them to traffic heading in the opposite direction departing Washington National.
The military jets, roaring at over 350 miles per hour, nearly brushed shoulders with the Delta Airbus A319, which was gaining altitude after taking off from the airport. Thevertically, the jets fell short by 100 feet, while laterally, they barely escaped by 3,900 feet. A source privy to the incident shared that the aircraft came within roughly five seconds of colliding, based on CNN's analysis of the unreported distance between the flights and speeds provided by FlightRadar24.
The latest revelations stir doubts about the capacity of air traffic controllers in Washington D.C. to manage high-stress situations amidst the aftermath of the worst U.S. air disaster in recent memory.
Months prior, CNN unveiled that the night preceding the incident, a brawl erupted in the Reagan National control tower, forcing airport police to apprehend an air traffic controller.
The FAA, overseeing the investigation, established a "critical incident stress management team" to bolster emotional support to the control tower staff. The National Transportation Safety Board is also digging into the case.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate committee that supervises the FAA, voiced concerns during a recent committee hearing, stating, "The air traffic center controlling D.C. airspace notified DCA about the flyover. That should have led to halted traffic." He branded the incident a "serious communication breakdown," adding it joins a series of missteps that suggest the air traffic organization is overburdened.
The tense encounter between a Delta Air Lines flight and military jets near Reagan National Airport has reignited discussions about air traffic control, as investigations uncover a series of events that include a heated argument leading to an air traffic controller's arrest the night before, and previously unheard collision alerts flashing during the incident. senator Ted Cruz, concerned about the incident, highlighted it as a "serious communication breakdown," emphasizing a string of missteps that could indicate an overburdened air traffic organization.
