The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it will investigate a near-miss incident that took place on Friday, March 28, involving a Delta Air Lines flight and a US Air Force jet near Reagan Washington National Airport. This event comes after a deadly mid-air collision on January 29 near the same airport, where a passenger jet and a US Army helicopter crashed, resulting in 67 fatalities—the first fatal passenger airline crash in the US in 16 years. Concerns over aviation safety have been growing due to multiple near-miss incidents in the past two years, highlighting staffing shortages in air traffic control operations.

On Friday, Delta Flight 2389, an Airbus A319 en route to Minneapolis, was cleared for takeoff around 3:15 p.m. ET while four US Air Force T-38 Talon jets were approaching Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover, according to the FAA. The Delta aircraft’s cockpit collision warning system detected another plane nearby, prompting controllers to issue corrective instructions to both aircraft.

Senator Amy Klobuchar, representing Minnesota, described the situation as "unbelievably dangerous" and expressed relief that no one was harmed. She pledged to contact the Department of Defense to question why military aircraft were flying just 500 feet below a passenger plane. The Pentagon acknowledged reports of the incident but did not provide an immediate response. Delta confirmed that the flight had 131 passengers and five crew members, stating that the crew followed all procedures and would cooperate with regulators in reviewing the event.

According to CNN, audio from LiveATC.net captured the Delta pilot asking air traffic controllers whether another aircraft was positioned 500 feet below. The controller confirmed this, CNN reported. The January collision had previously raised concerns over the military’s failure to implement the ADS-B safety system on helicopter training flights. In response, the FAA imposed permanent restrictions on non-essential helicopter operations around Reagan National and prohibited helicopters and passenger jets from flying in close proximity. The changes followed safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Additionally, in recent months, other aviation safety incidents have occurred. In February, a Southwest Airlines flight came within 200 feet of a business jet before executing an emergency maneuver at Chicago Midway Airport. On March 1, more than a dozen planes on final approach to Reagan National received false cockpit collision alerts, leading to at least six aborted landings. The FAA and a senator later revealed that these false warnings were caused by government testing of counter-drone technology.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.