Delta Flight, Air Force Jet Avoid Possible Collision Near Reagan Airport

ARLINGTON, VA — A Delta passenger plane and Air Force jet narrowly avoided a potential crash Friday near where an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in January, killing 67 people.

Delta flight 2983 was departing from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at 2:55 p.m. Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The flight was cleared for takeoff at 3:15 p.m., the same time four U.S. Air Force T-38 Talons were inbound to Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover.

The Delta aircraft received an onboard alert that another aircraft was nearby, an FAA spokesperson said. Air traffic controllers issued corrective instructions to both aircraft.

The Airbus A319 was carrying 131 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants, according to a Delta spokesperson. The plane was embarking on a regularly scheduled flight between Reagan and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

A review of tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed an Air Force T-38 jet flying past the Delta plane and DCA airport going more than 350 miles per hour at 800 feet, according to a CNN report. The military jet took off before landing at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

The FAA is investigating, a spokesperson said. No injuries were reported.

The close call happened near where an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in January, killing 67 people. The plane was about to land at Reagan Airport when the crash occurred, killing everyone on board both aircraft.