American Airlines flight aborts landing at DC airport to avoid collision

An American Airlines jet aborted a landing at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., to avoid a collision with another plane on Tuesday morning, aviation officials said.

The flight was making its final descent at 8:20 a.m. ET when the pilot saw another plane preparing to take off from the runway and made the quick decision to perform a go-around maneuver, in which the pilot pulled up and ascended toward the skies, to avoid the other aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The FAA said the maneuver was made to “ensure separation was maintained between this aircraft and a preceding departure from the same runway.”

Fox News Digital reached out to American Airlines but did not immediately hear back.

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Within a span of 90 minutes, another flight in Chicago was forced to abort its landing to avoid a collision with a plane on the runway.

Southwest Flight 2504 from Omaha nearly touched down on the runway at Chicago Midway Airport at 9:50 a.m. ET when the pilot suddenly pointed the plane’s nose back toward the sky to fly over a smaller business Flexjet aircraft that entered its path on the runway.

The FAA said in a preliminary statement that the “business jet entered the runway without authorization.” The agency, as well as the National Transportation Safety Board, said they are investigating the incident.

A Southwest spokesperson told Fox News in a statement that the flight’s “crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident.”

The two near-misses on Tuesday morning highlight concerns about aviation safety after a string of air travel incidents in recent weeks.

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Earlier Tuesday, a United Airlines flight carrying nearly 200 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after the airline said there was a “possible mechanical issue” mid-flight. 

A day earlier, a Delta Air Lines flight was forced to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after a “haze” filled the cabin, according to the airline. Passengers evacuated the aircraft upon landing safely, and no injuries were reported.

An American Airlines plane collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 26, killing all 67 people aboard the two aircraft – the deadliest aviation crash in the U.S. since 2009.

Less than 48 hours later, a medical ambulance flight carrying a child patient, her mother and four others crashed in Philadelphia, leaving seven people dead, including all those aboard, and injuring 19 others.

A commuter plane in Alaska crashed on Feb. 6, killing all 10 people on board.

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A Delta Air Lines flight burst into flames and flipped upside down while landing at Canada’s Toronto Pearson Airport on Feb. 17. Everyone on board survived the ordeal, though 21 people were injured.