Republic Airways Flight Aborts Landing at D.C.’s Reagan Airport

A Republic Airways flight was forced to abort its landing at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Monday Sep. 8, in the morning, after air traffic controllers reported maintenance crews inspecting the runway, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed.

“An air traffic controller instructed Republic Airways Flight 4528 to perform a go-around at Reagan Washington National Airport because maintenance crews were inspecting the runway,” the FAA said in a statement issued Monday. The agency added that it is investigating the incident, which occurred around 7:05 a.m. local time on Sept. 8.

A go-around ends the landing approach and returns an aircraft to altitude and configuration to safely make another approach. Such maneuvers are a standard safety procedure when unexpected hazards or conflicts occur on or near the runway.

Monday’s event comes amid a series of recent safety-related disruptions at the busy Washington, D.C., airport. Earlier this year, a deadly crash involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight near National Airport rattled the nation and raised new questions about aviation safety.

In August, Reagan National briefly suspended inbound flights after a fire alarm activated in the air traffic control tower, with the FAA later slowing arrivals due to volume as operations resumed.

When reached for comment, a Republic Airways spokesperson said the carrier did not “have any additional information to offer on this one.”

The FAA’s probe will determine how maintenance activity coincided with an arriving flight and whether procedures were followed correctly. With Reagan National already under scrutiny for prior safety incidents and operational disruptions, Monday’s go-around highlights the importance of vigilant runway management at one of the nation’s busiest airports.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com