The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident in which four U.S. Air Force jets came close to a Delta Air Lines plane that was taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington on Friday, prompting air traffic controllers to direct the planes to safe distances.
At about 3:15 p.m., Delta Flight 2983 was cleared to take off. as four Air Force T-38 Talon jets were on their way to Arlington National Cemetery for a ceremonial flyover, the F.A.A. said in a statement.
Shortly after takeoff, the Delta flight’s onboard system detected the nearby jets, setting off an alert from the traffic collision avoidance system, according to the F.A.A.
The safety alert system is designed to help pilots prevent midair collisions by instructing one aircraft to climb and the other to descend when they are too close.
Air traffic controllers issued separation instructions to the Delta flight and the military jets, the F.A.A. said.
No one was hurt in the incident. The Delta flight landed safely at its destination in Minneapolis.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people,” Delta Air Lines said in a statement. “That’s why the flight crew followed procedures to maneuver the aircraft as instructed.”
The Air Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This latest incident comes two months after American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission, killing 67 people aboard both aircraft.
Since then, military operations near commercial airports have faced intense scrutiny from Congress and the Trump administration. On Thursday, members of a Senate subcommittee questioned the F.A.A. administrator and the U.S. Army’s director of aviation during an investigative hearing into the January midair collision about the practices that have allowed military aircraft to frequently fly too close to commercial airplanes at National Airport.
The F.A.A. closed the helicopter route involved in the deadly collision and ordered that aircraft operating near the National Airport broadcast their positions, allowing air traffic controllers to better manage traffic.
The National Transportation Safety Board recently disclosed that between 2021 and 2024, more than 15,000 close calls occurred at the National Airport between commercial airplanes and helicopters.
Mark Walker is an investigative reporter focused on transportation. He is based in Washington. More about Mark Walker
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