Federal aviation authorities are investigating a close call between a Delta Airlines passenger plane and U.S. Air Force jets near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. The incident occurred on January 30, shortly after Delta Flight 2983 took off for Minneapolis, triggering alerts in the cockpit about a nearby aircraft. Air traffic controllers issued “corrective instructions” to both the Delta plane and the military jets involved in a flyover for Arlington National Cemetery.
This episode comes two months after a fatal collision at the same airport between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which killed 67 people. In response to that tragedy, the FAA has announced stricter limitations on helicopter flights near the airport. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported significant numbers of close calls between commercial and military aircraft over recent years, indicating serious safety concerns in the airspace around the airport.
Delta Airlines stated that its flight crew adhered to safety protocols, while the response from the Air Force was not immediate. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar highlighted the danger of the incident and plans to question the Pentagon about the operation of military aircraft near commercial flights.
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