TENSE SKIES

American Airlines Plane Aborts Landing to Avoid Collision

A plane was forced to divert its landing in Washington D.C. to avoid colliding with another aircraft on the runway.

An American Airlines plane was forced to delay its landing on Tuesday to avoid colliding with another plane that was taking off from the same runway. The Airbus A319 was arriving at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. when it was notified about the other aircraft. “An air traffic controller instructed American Flight 2246 to perform a go-around at Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) Airport to ensure separation was maintained between this aircraft and a preceding departure from the same runway,” Federal Aviation Administration officials said. The flight “landed safely and normally at DCA after it was instructed by Air Traffic Control to complete a standard go-around to allow another aircraft more time for takeoff,” reported a spokesperson. The airline says the incident was typical and “can occur nearly every day.” The spokesperson defended the move, saying, “It’s a tool in both the pilot’s and air traffic controller’s toolbox to help maintain” safety and efficiency. The incident comes in the wake of a slew of airline incidents, with an emergency landing in New Jersey on Tuesday and a devastating plane crash in Washington last month that killed 67 people.