Federal authorities are investigating an incident in which an American Airlines plane taxiing down a runway aborted its takeoff from Reagan National Airport to avoid a collision with another plane landing on an intersecting runway.
It was the second close call at the busy airport near Washington, D.C., in the past six weeks.
The Federal Aviation Administration said air traffic controllers revoked American Airlines Flight 2134’s clearance to take off after another plane received clearance to land on an intersecting runway on Wednesday.
An audio recording on LiveATC.net showed air traffic controllers telling the pilot of an American Airlines A319 that clearance for takeoff had been cancelled, and the pilot then confirmed the order.
“The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority and we appreciate the professionalism of our flight crew,” a spokesman for Fort Worth-based American Airlines said. The airline said it would assist federal investigators in its investigation.
A second plane landed, and about four hours later, American Airlines Flight 2134 took off as normal and headed for Boston. According to FlightAware.
In April, air traffic controllers allowed a Southwest Airlines plane to cross the runway that a JetBlue plane was using to take off. Both aircraft were ordered to stopA collision was averted. The FAA is also investigating the accident.
Lawmakers in Virginia and Maryland argued against increasing service to the airport because of the incident, but Congress approved additional long-haul flights to and from Reagan National Airport this month.