American Airlines Flight Forced to Abort Takeoff to Avoid Collision

Image: American Airlines' airplanes active on an airport tarmac.  (Photo Credit: American Airlines Media)
Image: American Airlines' airplanes active on an airport tarmac. (Photo Credit: American Airlines Media)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 8:15 AM ET, Fri May 31, 2024

Here is further evidence of a lack of air traffic controllers. For the second time in six weeks, a flight departing from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport had to abort its takeoff to avoid colliding with another incoming plane.

The incident happened on Wednesday this week and involved an American Airlines plane preparing to leave for Boston. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating.

“An air traffic controller cancelled the takeoff clearance for American Airlines Flight 2134 because another aircraft was cleared to land on an intersecting runway,” the FAA said in a statement.

“The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we’re grateful to our crew for their professionalism. We will support the FAA in its investigation,” American Airlines said in a statement.

Ironically, the FAA is investigating a similar incident at the same airport in April.

Wednesday’s flight eventually took off for Boston but arrived four hours late.

The pressing issue of airline safety and the potential for runway collisions have been at the forefront of discussions and in the public eye for the past several months, if not longer, underscoring the need for heightened awareness and potential changes in air traffic control procedures.

And it hasn’t just been on the runways.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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