American Airlines flight at DCA forced to abort takeoff following near miss

It was the second near miss at Reagan National in six weeks. On April 18, an air traffic controller asked a Southwest pilot to cross a runway used by a departing JetBlue plane, according to the FAA.

The incidents have heightened critics' concerns about a recent bipartisan aviation law that increases the number of flights to and from National.

Virginia's U.S. senators argued that the April incident was “a flashing red light that this airport is overloaded” and said adding five round-trip flights later this year risked “the safety of 25 million people transit through DCA every year.”

Following Wednesday's incident, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) expressed relief in a social media post that no one was injured, but said it shows why the decision “to blocking even more flights to DCA was so dangerous.” The FAA must resist any further safety-compromising flights.

The agency did not respond to questions about whether these two incidents reveal broader security problems at the airport or whether the new aviation law could make security problems worse.

FAA says serious runway incursions are rare nationally and are down 33 percent so far this fiscal year compared to last year, citing its work to improve technology, coordination and training.

“Aviation is the safest form of transportation and that’s because we never take anything for granted,” the agency said in a statement.

The FAA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, which said earlier this month that “regardless of the number of flights at DCA,” the FAA's priority is ensuring the safety of the airport's operations.

On Wednesday, American Airlines Flight 2134 accelerated to 89 knots as a Hawker Beechcraft turboprop plane prepared to land, according to data from aircraft tracking platform ADS-B Exchange. By the time the small plane was right in front of the airliner, at the intersection of the two runways, the American plane had managed to significantly reduce its speed, according to the data.

The precise circumstances, including why the American plane was allowed to take off, are among the questions facing investigators.

American Airlines said in a statement: “We are grateful to our crew for their professionalism. »

After the incident, an American crew member radioed air traffic control for clarification on what to do next, according to a recording captured by LiveATC.net.

“We need somewhere to sit after this aborted takeoff,” he said. “We need to figure out what we’re going to do here.”