Two passenger planes with the same flight number nearly collided.
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At midnight local time on August 14, an American Airlines departing flight and an arriving flight using the same flight number appeared simultaneously on air traffic control radar at Phoenix International Airport. Air traffic controllers acted swiftly to ensure the two aircraft maintained a safe distance.
The two American Airlines flights, both AA2482 and operated by 737-800 aircraft, appeared simultaneously on the Phoenix International Airport air traffic control radar. One flight was approaching Phoenix from Chicago, while the other had just departed Phoenix and was bound for Chicago.
A controller stated, "I've been in air traffic control for 25 years, and I've never seen two aircraft use the same call sign almost simultaneously. It's incredible."
If both pilots believe the controller is directing them, they will fly towards each other at the same altitude, potentially colliding. Therefore, pilots must know which aircraft the controller is directing.
Air traffic controllers quickly began using "American Airlines 2482 Arrival" and "American Airlines 2482 Departure" to distinguish between the two aircraft.
Even after the two aircraft eventually met, controllers ensured the arriving flight remained safely above the departing flight and instructed the departing flight not to climb excessively to maintain a safe distance.
After the two aircraft safely passed each other, the arriving pilots praised the controllers, saying "Well done."
Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo stated that a staff member in the airline's dispatch center likely failed to notice that when dispatchers and pilots signed off on flight plans, both aircraft would be flying simultaneously with the same flight number.
"You can be negligent, this shouldn't happen, but it's good to see the system is resilient and we have all the necessary safeguards," Arroyo said. He has worked at United Airlines for forty years and has only encountered this type of problem a few times. Arroyo started as a dispatcher before becoming a pilot.
The cause of the situation was that the two flights arrived and departed Phoenix at close intervals. A flight from Chicago to Phoenix was originally scheduled to arrive at approximately 10:40 PM, while the flight from Phoenix to Chicago was scheduled to depart at 11:45 PM. However, due to weather conditions, the flight from Chicago was delayed by an hour and a half, causing its arrival time in Phoenix to overlap with the departure time of the flight to Chicago.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and American Airlines will investigate the cause of the incident.
American Airlines stated, "The diligence and professionalism of air traffic controllers and our pilots ensured that the two flights maintained the necessary safe separation, and both flights continued to fly safely without any incidents."
