American Airlines flight 2246 was forced to perform a go-around instead of landing at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., to avoid a collision with another aircraft. On the same day, a Southwest flight experienced a similar situation while attempting to land in Chicago Midway International Airport. The two close calls on Tuesday morning highlight growing concerns about aviation safety following a series of recent air travel incidents.
American Airlines Incident
An American Airlines aircraft had to perform a go-around while attempting to land at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday morning. The flight was approaching its final descent at 8:20 a.m. ET when the crew had to abort the landing to avoid a collision with another aircraft. The pilot noticed another plane getting ready to take off on the runway and had to quickly abort landing.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement, claiming that the go-around manoeuvre
“Ensured separation was maintained between this aircraft and a preceding departure from the same runway.”
Southwest Airlines Incident
Roughly 90 minutes later, a similar incident occurred with Southwest Airlines. The Southwest Airlines plane had to perform a go-around while attempting to land at Chicago Midway International Airport to avoid a collision with a private jet. The two aircraft were approximately 2,050 feet apart before the Southwest plane initiated the go-around.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident; however, it appears that the private jet entered the runway without authorisation. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy stated:
“We don’t believe that this was an air traffic control issue. It appears this was a failure of the flight crew from Flexjet to listen and abide by the instructions of air traffic control.”
Tuesday’s near collisions occurred at a time when officials continue to investigate a series of recent air travel incidents. These include the tragic midair collision in Washington, D.C., an airline crash off the coast of Nome, Alaska, and a Delta plane crash in Toronto.
What do you think about the two incidents? Let us know in the comments below!
