Flight-number mix-up put 2 passenger jets on collision course over US airport

The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Friday, when two aircraft identified as American Airlines Flight 2482 were briefly in the same airspace over Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona. One aircraft was arriving from Chicago while the other had just taken off.

The Chicago flight had been delayed by bad weather, prompting American Airlines to use a second aircraft for the Phoenix departure. Both flights, however, ended up operating under the same flight number, news agency AP reported.

What Happened

The potential danger arose as the two aircraft approached converging flight paths. If both pilots had interpreted the controller’s instructions as applying to their aircraft, the situation could have resulted in a collision.

• The Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines are expected to investigate how the error occurred.

• Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said the incident likely occurred because the airline’s dispatch operation failed to detect that two aircraft would be airborne at the same time under the identical flight number.

• The controller, who said he had worked in air traffic control for 25 years, later described the situation as highly unusual.

Key Details

After the aircraft safely passed each other, the arriving pilot praised the controller for his handling of the situation.

• He also ensured that both pilots spotted the other aircraft while they were still miles apart.

• He instructed the arriving aircraft to remain above the departing jet and directed the departing aircraft not to climb too high, maintaining the required vertical separation as their flight paths converged.

• The air traffic controller quickly recognised the problem and began distinguishing between the two jets as "American 2482 on the arrival" and "American 2482 on the departure".

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge