By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The National Transportation Safety Board said on Friday it will open an investigation into a near collision earlier this week between an American Airlines (NASDAQ ) plane and a small plane at Washington's Reagan National Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration earlier said that an air traffic controller on Wednesday had canceled takeoff clearance for American Airlines Flight 2134, an Airbus A319, because a Hawker Beechcraft Super King Air was cleared to land on an intersecting runway at the airport. Reagan has the busiest runway in the country.
“We will investigate thoroughly,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said Thursday.
American Airlines said Friday that “the safety of our customers and team members is our top priority and we are grateful to our crew for their professionalism. We will support the FAA and NTSB in their investigations.”
The NTSB has opened investigations into more than a half-dozen near misses since January 2023, raising concerns about U.S. aviation safety and pressure on understaffed air traffic control.
The persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights and raised safety concerns. In many facilities, controllers work mandatory overtime and six-day weeks to cover staffing shortages. The FAA wants $43 million to speed up the hiring and training of controllers and has tried to impose new rest requirements.
Staffing issues forced the FAA to extend cuts to minimum flight requirements at congested New York City-area airports through October 2024, allowing airlines to fly fewer flights without losing takeoff slots. and landing. The airlines have asked that the exemption be extended for another year.
The NTSB will hold a hearing on June 6 to determine the probable cause of a February 2023 near-miss involving a FedEx (NYSE ) cargo plane and a Southwest Airlines (NYSE ) plane in Austin, Texas.
The two planes nearly collided when the FedEx Boeing (NYSE: 767) was forced to fly over the Southwest plane to avoid a crash in poor visibility conditions. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said last year that the planes came close about 35 meters (115 feet) from each other in what could have been a “terrible tragedy.”
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