Delta Air Lines plane collide mid-air with U.S. Air Force T-38 military aircraft
U.S: A U.S. Air Force T-38 military aircraft and an ADelta Air Lines flight barely escaped colliding in midair on Friday. The event happened a few miles from Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Airport (DCA), the scene of a fatal aircraft accident that killed 67 people in January.
The Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System, a cockpit warning system intended to prevent midair collisions, issued a “resolution advisory” at approximately 3:15 p.m. to alert pilots that Delta Flight 2983, an Airbus A319 headed for Minneapolis-St. Paul, was on a potential collision course with another aircraft.
A resolution advisory is a high-level notice that tells pilots to rise or descend right away in order to prevent a collision.
According to FlightRadar24 tracking data, an Air Force T-38 jet traveling at around 350 miles per hour at 800 feet passed the Delta aircraft and DCA. The Delta flight had 131 passengers, two pilots, and three flight attendants.
The military aircraft was flying out of Hampton, Virginia’s Langley Air Force Base. According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), four U.S. Air Force T-38 Talons were en route to Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover at the time of the incident.
The Delta pilot reportedly questioned air traffic control, “On that departure… was there an actual aircraft about 500 feet below us as we came off of DCA?” according to audio recorded by LiveATC.net.
“Delta 2983, affirmative,” returned the controller.
Delta acknowledged the occurrence and said that its crew acted suitably. We Know That Columbia University’s Temporary President Is Resigning
It follows another incident between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional flight in the same area. On January 29, 67 persons were killed when the two planes collided in midair.
Since then, the National Transportation Safety Board has disclosed that more than 15,000 occurrences occurred between 2021 and 2024 in which commercial aircraft and helicopters were within one nautical mile (1.15 miles) of one another. In 85 of those instances, the distance between the aircraft was just 200 feet laterally and 1,500 feet vertically.
Senators pressed DCA on Thursday to explain why near-misses involving military helicopters and civilian aircraft were allowed to go unchecked. The same day, the FAA said that it would mandate that military planes flying close to the airport fly with certain collision avoidance devices on.
In a post on X, previously Twitter, after Friday’s near miss, Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said she will ask the Department of Defense why military aircraft were flying just 500 feet below a civilian flight.
On X, Senator Amy Klobuchar wrote, “Thank God people are safe despite the unbelievable danger.” “Why are your planes flying 500 feet below passenger jets full of Minnesotans heading from DCA to my state?” is what I will be asking the Department of Defense when I make my first call tomorrow.
“On Friday, March 28, at approximately 3:15 p.m. local time, Delta Air Lines Flight 2983 was cleared to take off at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport while four U.S. Air Force T-38 Talons were inbound to Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover,” the FAA stated in a statement.
“An onboard warning about the presence of another aircraft was sent to the Delta aircraft. Both planes received correction orders from air traffic controllers.
In a further statement to Fox News, they said, “We are currently collecting information but have not yet launched an investigation.”
In a statement, Delta Air Lines stated, “Our customers’ and people’s safety comes first. For this reason, the flight crew did as they were told and maneuvered the aircraft. According to the FAA, the event will be looked into.
