Federal officials are investigating an incident in which an American Airlines plane rolling down the runway canceled its takeoff from Reagan National Airport to avoid colliding with another plane landing on an intersecting runway.
It was the second close call at the busy airport near Washington, D.C., in the past six weeks.
The Federal Aviation Administration said an air traffic controller canceled the takeoff clearance for American Airlines Flight 2134 after another aircraft was cleared to land on the intersecting runway on Wednesday.
A recording by LiveATC.net caught an air traffic controller telling the pilots of the American A319 that their takeoff clearance had been canceled, and the pilots confirming the order.
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“The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we’re grateful to our crew for their professionalism," a spokesperson for Fort Worth-based American Airlines said. The airline said it will support the work of the federal investigators.
The second, smaller plane landed. About four hours later, American Flight 2134 took off normally and flew to Boston, according to information from FlightAware.
In April, air traffic controllers cleared a Southwest Airlines plane to cross a runway that a JetBlue plane was using for takeoff. Both planes were ordered to stop, and a collision was avoided. The FAA is also investigating that incident.
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Lawmakers from Virginia and Maryland used the incident to argue against adding more flights to the airport, but Congress this month approved additional long-distance flights to and from Reagan National.
