A close call occurred on Friday between a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a US Air Force T-38 jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The incident raised alarms within the cockpit of the passenger plane as it was preparing for takeoff. Delta Flight 2983, headed for Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, was departing around 3:15 p.m. when the alarming situation unfolded.
While Delta has not publicly identified the military jet involved, tracking data from FlightRadar24 confirms that a T-38 jet was flying at over 350 miles per hour and at an altitude of 800 feet, just as it passed the Delta aircraft near DCA airport. The T-38 jet took off and landed at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, shortly after the encounter.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the Delta aircraft was cleared for takeoff at approximately 3:15 p.m. ET. At the same time, four US Air Force T-38 Talons were inbound to Arlington National Cemetery for a scheduled flyover. During this critical moment, the Delta flight received an onboard alert indicating the proximity of another aircraft, prompting air traffic controllers to issue corrective instructions to both flying entities.
The FAA has announced that it will investigate this alarming incident. Notably, this close call occurred just south of DCA airport, in proximity to where a tragic collision occurred on January 29, resulting in the deaths of 67 individuals when an American Airlines regional jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
During a recent congressional hearing, Senators expressed their concerns about the lack of oversight regarding close calls between military helicopters and commercial passenger planes at DCA. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported over 15,000 occurrences of close proximity events involving commercial airplanes and helicopters from 2021 to 2024. This included 85 incidents where aircraft were dangerously close, separated by only 1,500 feet vertically and 200 feet laterally.
In response to these safety concerns, the FAA has closed a helicopter route near the airport. Additionally, they have mandated that military aircraft operating in the vicinity of DCA be equipped with specific collision avoidance systems activated. However, these measures were not sufficient to avert the recent close call during Delta's departure.
Audio captured by LiveATC.net reveals the urgent communication between the Delta pilot and air traffic controllers. “On that departure … was there an actual aircraft about 500 ft below us as we came off of DCA?” the Delta pilot questioned. The controller affirmed, “Delta 2983, affirmative.” The pilot also mentioned receiving a “resolution advisory” from the aircraft's Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which provides pilots with instructions to avoid potential collisions.
Delta Air Lines spokesperson Morgan Durrant emphasized the airline's commitment to passenger safety, stating, “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people. That’s why the flight crew followed procedures to maneuver the aircraft as instructed.” The Delta flight was carrying two pilots, three flight attendants, and 131 passengers at the time of the incident.
This near-miss highlights the ongoing challenges of maintaining air safety, particularly in busy airspace near major airports like DCA. As investigations continue, both the FAA and military authorities are under pressure to implement stricter regulations to enhance safety protocols.
