David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The National Transportation Safety Board said on Friday it would open an investigation into a possible collision earlier this week between an American Airlines (NASDAQ:) jet and a small plane at Washington’s Reagan National Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration previously said air traffic controllers canceled American Airlines Flight 2134 (Airbus A319) on Wednesday because the 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 conduct a thorough investigation,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said Thursday.
American Airlines said Friday that “the safety of our customers and crew 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.”
Since January 2023, the NTSB has begun investigating more than a half-dozen potential incidents, raising concerns about U.S. aviation safety and the strain on an understaffed air traffic control service.
A persistent shortage of dispatchers has led to flight delays and safety concerns. At many sites, supervisors work long hours and six-day weeks to cover staffing shortages. The FAA is seeking $43 million to speed up the hiring and training of controllers and is trying to impose new rest requirements.
Staffing problems have forced the FAA to cut minimum flight capacity requirements at congested New York City airports through October 2024, allowing airlines to operate fewer flights without losing takeoff and landing slots. The airlines asked to extend the waiver for another year.
The NTSB will hold a hearing on June 6 to determine the probable cause of the February 2023 incident involving a FedEx (NYSE:) cargo plane and a Southwest Airlines (NYSE:) plane in Austin, Texas.
The two planes nearly collided when a FedEx Boeing 767 was forced to fly over a Southwest plane to avoid a crash in poor visibility. NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy said the planes flew within about 115 feet (35 meters) of each other last year, which could have been a “terrible tragedy.”