An American Airlines flight from Boston was forced to abort its landing at Reagan Washington National Airport to avoid a plane that was departing on the same runway, officials said.
The close call involving American Flight 2246 out of Logan International Aiport happened around 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday, just minutes before a similar incident involving a Southwest flight unfolded at Chicago’s Midway International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
In a statement shared with Boston 25 News, the FAA said an air traffic controller instructed the Boston flight to perform a go-around “to ensure separation was maintained between this aircraft and a preceding departure.”
Massachusetts resident Itai Vardi, who was on the flight, told Boston 25′s Ray Villeda that the plane circled for about 15 minutes before landing.
“It was scary as we were approaching landing, over the Potomac, I could see the runway. I heard the wheels coming down, and then suddenly the plane accelerated going up,” Vardi recalled. “The plane ascended. A minute later, the pilot got on the speaker and said, ‘Another plane was approaching, so we had to change course abruptly, and out of an abundance of caution, we had to re-route.’”
Vardi added, “Given what happened at DCA a few weeks ago, and the Trump cuts to the FAA, flying is making me uneasy.”
At 8:48 a.m. in Chicago, the Southwest flight also performed a go-around and climbed back into the sky to avoid a collision with a private plane on the runway.
Officials described a go-around as a “safe, routine maneuver performed” at the discretion of a pilot or the request of an air traffic controller, discontinuing the landing approach and returning the aircraft to an altitude to safely make another approach.
This latest Washington, D.C. incident comes after an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with a regional American Airlines flight that was on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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