The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it will launch an investigation after two passenger planes nearly collided on the runway at Reagan National Airport in Washington on Wednesday.
American Airlines Flight 2134 was cleared for takeoff around 10:20 a.m., at the same time a King Air flight was cleared to land on a crossing runway. The American flight was quickly cancelled, narrowly avoiding a collision between the two planes.
“An air traffic controller canceled the takeoff clearance for American Airlines Flight 2134 because another aircraft was cleared to land on an intersecting runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport,” an FAA spokesperson told The Hill on Thursday.
A replay flight tracking at the time shows the American Airlines flight beginning its takeoff while the King Air flight was landing, before the American flight stopped midway through its takeoff sequence.
The near miss follows a similar incident at the same airport last month.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) was “relieved” by the news that no one was injured in the incident, but said it demonstrates broader concerns about National’s flying capabilities.
“I’m relieved no one was hurt. But this incident highlights again that DCA is full,” Kaine said in a statement. post on X. “This shows why the Senate’s action to block even more flights to DCA was so dangerous. The FAA must resist any new flights that compromise safety.”
The House passed the FAA reauthorization bill last month, which included adding five long-haul flight slots to National, despite strong opposition from Virginia and Maryland lawmakers, including Kaine.
Kaine argued on the Senate floor last month that the previous near miss at the airport was already a sign that National is overcrowded. He and other critics of the legislation said adding more flight slots was a safety risk.
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