Sat Mar 29 08:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Near Miss: Delta Plane, Air Force Jet Have Close Call Over Washington D.C.
**Washington, D.C. –** A Delta Air Lines flight narrowly avoided a collision with a US Air Force T-38 jet Friday afternoon near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), prompting an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Delta flight 2983, en route to Minneapolis-St. Paul, received an onboard collision warning while departing DCA around 3:15 p.m. ET. Flight tracking data indicates the Air Force jet, traveling at over 350 mph at an altitude of 800 feet, passed near the Delta aircraft shortly after takeoff. The T-38 was en route to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, after participating in a flyover at Arlington National Cemetery.
The FAA confirmed that air traffic controllers intervened, issuing corrective instructions to both aircraft. Delta pilots also confirmed receiving a resolution advisory from their Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which automatically alerts pilots to potential collisions and suggests avoidance maneuvers. Delta spokesperson Morgan Durrant emphasized the airline’s priority on passenger safety, stating that the crew followed all procedures. The 137 people aboard the Delta aircraft were unharmed.
This near-miss comes just a day after a Senate hearing highlighted numerous previous close calls between military helicopters and commercial aircraft near DCA, including over 15,000 instances of close proximity between 2021 and 2024. In response to these concerns, the FAA recently closed a helicopter route and mandated the use of collision avoidance equipment on military aircraft in the area. Despite these measures, Friday’s incident raises renewed concerns about air safety protocols near the busy airport. The FAA has launched a full investigation into the incident.
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