2 planes, same flight number: How a US air traffic controller averted a mid-air collision

On Friday, two American Airlines planes with the same flight number, American 2482, had a close call due to a mistaken assignment of flight numbers. Air traffic controller Brian Williams, based in Phoenix, quickly stepped in to prevent a mid-air collision, according to the Associated Press. An audio clip from the controller recorded just after midnight shows how he managed to keep the two planes apart safely.

One plane was arriving from Chicago, while the other, using the same flight number, was taking off from Phoenix. The mix-up occurred because the Chicago-to-Phoenix flight was delayed by bad weather, prompting American Airlines to use a second plane from Phoenix to maintain the return leg schedule. This led to both planes, carrying the same flight number, being in the sky simultaneously.

The controller began addressing both aircraft as "American 2482" on the arrival and departure frequencies to avoid any confusion among the pilots. As their paths crossed, the controller kept the arriving plane above the departing one, ensuring a sufficient gap between the two aircraft. He also made sure both pilots could see each other while still some distance apart and instructed the departing plane to maintain a certain altitude.

The controller remarked, "I've never seen two aircraft pretty much merge with the same call sign," highlighting the rare nature of this incident. The arriving plane's pilot expressed gratitude for the controller's swift handling of the situation, to which the controller replied, "It could have been disastrous, but I'm glad it worked out."

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo explained that the error likely stemmed from a dispatch center representative not noticing that both planes would be in the air with the same flight number at the same time, emphasizing that such mistakes are rare. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines are investigating the incident, expressing relief that no one was harmed.

American Airlines confirmed that its pilots and air traffic controllers maintained the required distance between the two aircraft throughout the event, and both flights landed safely without any issues.