Reagan National Airport Close Call: Military Jet Alerts Delta Pilots

Close Call at Reagan National Airport

• ⚠️ A Delta flight departing Reagan National Airport (DCA) received a collision avoidance alert on Friday.
• 🎯 The alert was triggered by four Air Force t-38 jets flying at approximately 350 mph for a flyover at Arlington National Cemetery.
• ✈️ At their closest point, the military jets and the Delta flight were separated by about 6,000 ft horizontally and 275 ft vertically.

FAA Investigation and Safety Concerns

• 🔍 The FAA is investigating the incident, which occurred just a day after the acting FAA administrator stated flying at DCA was safe.
• 💡 The incident highlights ongoing concerns about close calls between airliners and military aircraft at Reagan National.
• 🚨 The FAA administrator acknowledged that the agency should have recognized the dangers at DCA prior to the January mid-air collision that resulted in fatalities.

Previous Incidents and Responsibility

• 💥 The TSA chair stated that responsibility for the DCA crash should be shared between the FAA and the Army.
• 🪁 In a separate incident on Saturday, a United flight landing at DCA reported potentially hitting a kite, though the aircraft landed safely and was undamaged.