Two American jets with same flight number avoid mid-air disaster

Two American Airlines flights with identical flight numbers narrowly escaped a mid-air collision near Phoenix on Friday night. The incident unfolded when an American Airlines aircraft arriving from Chicago encountered another aircraft with the same flight number preparing to depart. Both planes, identified as American 2482, were operating under the same flight call sign while their paths converged.

The situation was averted through the diligent efforts of an air traffic controller. The controller repeatedly referred to the aircraft as "American 2482 on the arrival" and "American 2482 on the departure," helping the pilots differentiate between the two jets as the controller issued instructions. The arriving plane was kept above the departing jet as they crossed paths, and the controller instructed the departing aircraft not to climb too high, creating a safe vertical separation between the two planes.

Both pilots were able to visually identify the other aircraft while they remained several miles apart. After passing each other safely, the arriving pilot commended the controller, stating, "It could have been disastrous, but I'm glad it worked out." The controller, who had over 25 years of experience in air traffic control, had never witnessed such a close call before and expressed relief at the system's resilience and safety measures in place.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo suggested that the incident likely resulted from an oversight by the airline's dispatch operation, emphasizing that such a scenario should not have occurred.