Two Planes Narrowly Collide at Reagan National Airport

Two planes narrowly collided at Reagan National Airport on May 29, 2024, prompting an investigation from the Federal Aviation Administration. This is the second time this type of incident has occurred in two months at the same airport.

The FAA issued the following statement about the incident: “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. The event occurred around 10:30 am local time on Wednesday, May 29.”

Air traffic control data retrieved from LiveATC reveals the King Air plane was already on the ground when the takeoff clearance for American Airlines was canceled. The flight from Washington, D.C., landed in Boston four hours late, according to FlightAware.

“The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we’re grateful to our crew for their professionalism. We will support the FAA in its investigation,” American Airlines said in a statement, according to CNN.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) was “relieved” to hear that nobody was hurt in the incident. He believes this incident continues to display that there is a real concern about flight capacity at the national airport.

“I’m relieved no one was hurt. But this incident underscores again that DCA is at capacity,” Kaine said in a post on X. “This shows why Senate action to jam even more flights into DCA was so dangerous. The FAA must resist any new flights that compromise safety.”

Kaine previously argued that a prior near-miss at the airport was already a sign that Reagan National Airport was overcrowded. He and other legislation critics said adding more flight slots was a safety risk.

However, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted to undermine the current “slots and perimeter” rules at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. This was part of the Senate’s version of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act.

“These changes in flight activity have produced significant stress on DCA’s facilities — from strained roadways and limited parking availability to overburdened baggage systems — and created frustrations for travelers, businesses, and local residents,” the statement reads.

Kaine and fellow Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) stated, “DCA’s runway is already the busiest in the country. Forcing the airport to cram additional flights in its already crowded schedule will further strain its resources at a time when air traffic controllers are overburdened and exhausted, working 10-hour days, six days a week.”

In April, the Associated Press reported that a JetBlue flight took off on runway four at the Virginia-based airport at around 7:41 a.m. on Thursday when an air traffic controller instructed a Southwest flight to cross the same runway. 

The Southwest Airlines flight was bound for Orlando, Florida. Its takeoff time was scheduled for 7:47 a.m. No injuries were reported between the two airplanes as they narrowly collided.