NTSB to probe near-miss involving American and United Airlines aircraft

The United States (US) National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate another near-miss incident at a US airport. This time, an American Airlines Embraer E175 (operated by Republic Airways as American Eagle) and a United Airlines Airbus A319 almost crossed paths at Washington Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA).

According to a report by CBS News, the NTSB will investigate the near-miss, which occurred at DCA on March 7, 2023. The board detailed that the United Airlines Airbus A319, registered as N819UA, was cleared for take-off to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on flight UA2003, while the American Airlines Embraer E175 (operated by Republic Airways as American Eagle), registered as N401YX, taxied across the runway which the A319 was about to take off from. The E175 was operating regularly scheduled flight AA4736 from DCA to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU).

“They did not cross the runway at the time, but it came close,” Jennifer Homendy, the chairwoman of the NTSB, told CBS News. According to Homendy, two different air traffic controllers gave instructions to the two flight crews, and the American Airlines Embraer E175 was cleared to taxi across the runway that ATC cleared the United Airlines flight to take off from. However, a statement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), seen by CBS News, indicated that “Republic Airways Flight 4736 crossed Runway 1 without clearance, putting the aircraft in the path of United Airlines Flight 2003, which had just been cleared for takeoff.”

The FAA said that a controller noticed the situation that was developing “and immediately canceled the takeoff clearance for the United Flight,” continued the agency’s statement.

Per flightradar24.com data, reviewed by AeroTime, the American Airlines (Republic Airways as American Eagle) Embraer E175 crossed runway 1L at taxiway F as the United Airlines Airbus A319 was on its take-off roll on the same runway. The A319 then proceeded to turn away from the runway at the nearest taxiway, successfully taking off for ORD on its second attempt. The E175 took off for RDU from runway 33L without further incident, successfully landing at RDU 46 minutes later.

Throughout 2023, several near-miss incidents have been recorded at US airports, including an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 landing on the same runway where an Air Canada Rouge Airbus A321 was taking off from at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) on February 16, 2023.

Previously, JetBlue pilots aborted a landing attempt at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) due to a Learjet 60, operated by a private jet company, being on its takeoff roll on the same runway.