Two American Airlines planes were nearly brought into a mid-air collision on Friday over Phoenix, Arizona, after a staffer mistakenly assigned them identical call signs.
The incident occurred when both aircraft were given the designation AA2482, causing them to receive the same instructions from air traffic control regarding their routes. This error placed them on a path that could have led to a crash.
A controller, who has 25 years of experience in air traffic management, identified the dangerous situation. "I've been working air traffic for 25 years. I've never seen two aircraft pretty much merge with the same call sign," the controller stated. "That's pretty incredible."
Both flights were operating on the route between Phoenix and Chicago. Typically, only one aircraft handles this service, but a delay prompted American Airlines to deploy a second plane to maintain the schedule.
The controller noticed the impending conflict as the Chicago-bound jet began to climb towards the Phoenix-bound plane. To ensure separation, the controller instructed the pilots of both aircraft to maintain different altitudes. The controller informed one pilot, "[There's] traffic [at] one o'clock and 10 miles, it's your company, same call sign."
Audio recordings revealed the controller differentiating the planes by referring to "American 2482 on the arrival" and "American 2482 on the departure." The pilot of the Phoenix-bound flight acknowledged the situation and confirmed seeing the other aircraft after they had passed each other safely, commending the controller for their "nice work."
"It could have been disastrous, but I'm glad it worked out," the controller responded.
Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo suggested that the error likely originated in American Airlines' dispatch center, where a staff member may not have realized that two planes with the same flight number would be airborne simultaneously. Arroyo noted that while such errors can occur, the safety systems in place proved effective. "You can drop the ball and that shouldn't happen, but it's nice to see that the system is resilient and we have all the safeguards," Arroyo said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines have both launched investigations into the incident. The airline stated, "The diligence and professionalism of air traffic controllers and our pilots ensured required separation was always maintained and the issue was identified and addressed. Both flights continued safely and without incident."