ALEXANDRIA, Va. — This week the Federal Aviation Administration opened an investigation into the latest "near miss" on Reagan National Airport (DCA)'s runways.
By now you may have heard the frantic audio of air traffic controllers watching what played out on the runway. A Southwest Airlines flight was cleared to taxi across a runway where a JetBlue flight had started its take off.
“Thank goodness no accident occurred,” Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst said.
Harteveldt gave some insight into initial FAA investigation into the near miss. He said a central part of their focus will be on the communication between air traffic control crews.
“The JetBlue flight was on the runway was given clearance to take off by the control tower,” Harteveldt explained. “The ground control gave the Southwest airplane permission to taxi, not realizing it would put that plane into conflict [with JetBlue].”
Harteveldt pointed out a near miss like this happened at DCA more than a year ago. He said it highlights the age of the airport and some of its runways, which were built in the 1930s.
“The way airports were designed then were very different than now,” he said. “Today airports are designed so their runways don’t intersect.”
“The problem is the main runway at DCA is the busiest runway in the United States,” Virginia Senator Tim Kaine said.
Despite that, Kaine explained, some members of Congress have advocated for adding more flights to Reagan when the FAA Reauthorization vote takes place this May.
“[Thursday] demonstrated there’s already a significant problem with congestion and delays at DCA,” he said. “That then verges into potential problems with safety.”
A reauthorization vote will take place May 10 with the backdrop of this latest near miss on the runways of DCA.
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