NTSB investigating close call between Delta flight, Air Force jets near DC
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Monday it is investigating the close call between a commercial Delta Air Lines flight and a group of Air Force jets flying near Reagan Washington National Airport on Friday.
In a post on the social platform X, the NTSB said it is probing the 'loss of separation' between the Minnesota-bound Delta Airbus A319 and the group of Air Force T-38 Talon jets flying toward Arlington, Va.
The Delta flight, carrying 131 passengers, received on onboard alert that an Air Force jet was close by shortly after taking off from the Washington, D.C.-area airport on Friday.
The Delta flight was cleared for takeoff while four U.S. Air Force T-38 jets were flying toward Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA said Friday it was also investigating the incident.
The close call is the latest incident near Washington, which in January experienced the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. since 2001. A midair collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and Army Black Hawk helicopter near the same airport killed all 67 people on board both aircraft.
The Friday incident saw no injuries. After receiving word about other jets in the region, both aircraft took corrective action.
'Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people,' Delta said in a statement on Friday. 'That's why the flight crew followed procedures to maneuver the aircraft as instructed.'
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