Three US Airways planes came within seconds of a midair collision Tuesday afternoon at Ronald Reagan National Airport after air traffic controllers reportedly mistakenly cleared two outbound flights to head in the direction of an incoming plane.
The Washington Post reports that the commuter planes were carrying 192 passengers and crew members. The newspaper cites federal officials with direct knowledge of the incident.
Based on the planes’ speeds and their trajectory, they were apparently 12 seconds from colliding with each other, MyFoxDC.com reported.
Three planes, twelve seconds away from a deadly plane crash? Scary.
The FBI briefly requested a halt to all air traffic as it investigated a US Airways flight scheduled for Dayton, Ohio on Sunday.
ABC affiliate WJLA reports US Airways Flight 2596 was isolated at the airport for an unknown security reason. All 44 passengers were removed from the plane and brought back to a terminal of the airport by bus.
Air traffic has since resumed at the airport, however the plane in question remains isolated.
Copyright 2009-2013 Ernie Smith • Ask us stuff! • E-mail us • Follow us on Twitter • Follow us on Facebook
