On January 14, 2020, a Delta Airlines Airbus A319 had a close call with a U.S. Air Force jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The Airbus was departing Reagan when the incident occurred with an Air Force T-38 jet, commonly used for training purposes. The proximity of the two aircraft triggered alarms in the Airbus cockpit.
Delta Flight 2983, en route to Minneapolis-St. Paul with two pilots, three flight crew members, and 131 passengers onboard, was following its regular schedule during the incident. The Traffic Collision Avoidance System alerted the crew, who acted according to their training to avoid a potential collision.
Delta emphasized the importance of safety for their customers and staff, confirming that proper procedures were followed to steer the aircraft as instructed. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported. The airline expressed readiness to cooperate with authorities for any further investigation into the incident.
The Delta flight landed at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport slightly behind schedule, after a brief delay on a taxiway at Reagan National. The U.S. Air Force had not issued a comment at the time of reporting.
This event adds to a series of unusual aircraft incidents since the beginning of the year, including a tragic collision between an American Eagle flight and an Army helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington D.C. on January 30, resulting in casualties and leading to restrictions on helicopter and military flights in the area.
