Near-Miss Incident Between Delta Passenger Plane and U.S. Air Force Jet Near Reagan National Airport (Video)

The Delta flight, with 137 people on board, had just departed for Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota , when it received notification of a nearby aircraft

A Delta passenger plane had a close call with a U.S. Air Force jet near Reagan National Airport, narrowly avoiding what could have been the second disaster at the same location in two months. The flight, carrying 137 people, had just departed for Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, when it suddenly received an emergency notification of a nearby aircraft. Alarms inside the cockpit were triggered due to the proximity of the T-38 jet.

The incident occurred south of the airport, near the location where an American Airlines jet collided with an Army helicopter in January, resulting in 67 fatalities. According to tracking data, the Air Force jet flew past the Delta plane at over 350 miles per hour. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the military jet was one of four conducting a flyover at Arlington National Cemetery.

In air traffic control communications, a Delta pilot was heard asking if an aircraft was approximately 500 feet below them, to which an air traffic controller confirmed. The FAA has launched an investigation into the near-miss, stating that corrective instructions were issued to both aircraft. Delta responded, emphasizing that safety is their top priority and committing to cooperate with regulators in any review.

Alarms went off inside the cockpit of the passenger flight due to how close the T-38 jet was

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar expressed concern over the incident, questioning why military planes were flying so close to passenger jets. The near-miss follows recent Senate hearings about unchecked close calls between military and civilian aircraft at the airport, prompted by a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report revealing an alarming number of proximity events. Between October 2021 and December 2024, there were 15,214 instances of aircraft receiving alerts about helicopters in close range. Additionally, 85 cases involved aircraft separated by less than 1,500 feet laterally and 200 feet vertically.

This latest event adds to a series of aviation accidents and close calls since the beginning of the year, including the fatal collision at Reagan National Airport. Investigations revealed that a single air traffic controller had been responsible for both helicopter and plane traffic at the time, a task usually shared by two controllers between 10 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. A supervisor had reportedly combined duties prematurely, allowing one controller to leave early. The FAA described this staffing decision as abnormal given the traffic volume.

The airline said the flight crew "followed procedures to maneuver the aircraft as instructed."

Reagan National Airport has faced persistent staffing shortages, with only 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023—far below the target of 30. However, a recent update indicated improvement, with 24 of 28 positions filled.

Concerns over control tower operations escalated further when a physical altercation broke out between two on-duty air traffic controllers. Reports indicated that blood was left on a control console before the situation was resolved. A source described the facility as being under severe stress following the January crash.

In addition to the incidents at Reagan National, aviation accidents elsewhere have raised further concerns about safety. Shortly after the January collision, a twin-engine jet crashed and exploded in Pennsylvania, killing six people. On February 17, a Delta passenger plane crash-landed upside-down at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Despite the dramatic nature of the accident, all passengers survived, remaining suspended by their seatbelts before safely evacuating.