The near-miss marks the second passenger-military aircraft incident close to the airport in nearly two months.
A Delta aircraft takes off from Washington-DCA (Photo: Shutterstock | Andrew Mauro)
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating a near-miss between a Delta jet and U.S. Air Force training aircraft near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The NTSB posted on X Monday that it would investigate Friday’s “loss of separation” between the Delta Airbus A319 and a group of Air Force T-38s.
NTSB is investigating Friday’s loss of separation between a Delta Airbus A319 and a group of Air Force T-38 Talon jets near DCA.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) March 31, 2025
According to an NPR report, the incident happened while four T-38 Talons were heading to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia for a flyover. T-38s are supersonic training aircraft, according to the U.S. Air Force.
The NPR report, citing the Federal Aviation Administration, stated that Delta flight 2983 was flying from Washington D.C. to Minneapolis when a TCAS alert sounded off in the cockpit showing that another aircraft was nearby.
Air traffic controllers then gave corrective instructions to both aircraft, which averted a collision.
The close call came nearly two months after January’s fatal collision between a PSA Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter at the D.C. airport.
Increased stress following the crash has taken its toll on workers in the sector. A day before Friday’s near miss, two air traffic controllers at DCA reportedly got into a fight, leading to injuries.
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