A Delta Air Lines flight had to take evasive action while nearly missing a military jet after taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Delta Flight 2983 took off as scheduled at around 3:15 p.m. Friday — just as four Air Force T-38 Talon jets headed to Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
“The Delta aircraft received an onboard alert that another aircraft was nearby. Air traffic controllers issued corrective instructions to both aircraft,” the FAA added.
The Delta pilot also noticed the other planes, asking air traffic controllers, “On that departure … was there an actual aircraft about 500 feet below us as we came off of [Reagan National]?” according to LiveATC.net audio cited by USA Today.
The Delta plane had 131 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants on board, the airline told The Associated Press. No injuries were reported as a result of the plane’s evasive maneuvers.
Flight 2983 ultimately landed at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport at 4:40 p.m., according to FlightAware.
The incident comes just weeks after the Jan. 29 collision between an American Airlines plane trying to land at Reagan and a military helicopter killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft.
The FAA has since taken action to prevent future collisions by closing an air route between the southern end of East Potomac Park in the District of Columbia and Woodrow Wilson Bridge and by limiting the use of two runways by planes while helicopters are on urgent business in the area.
