Two American Airlines planes had a close call over Phoenix after they were mistakenly assigned the same flight number, forcing an air traffic controller to act quickly to keep the aircraft safely separated. According to CBS News, the incident happened shortly after midnight Friday near Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport in Arizona, when two aircraft were operating under the same call sign – American Airlines Flight 2482.
The mix-up became apparent as one plane arrived from Chicago while another aircraft was preparing to depart Phoenix. With both pilots hearing the same flight number, there was a risk of confusion as their flight paths converged.
Audio of the exchange, posted by ATC.com, shows how the controller quickly solved the problem by referring to the aircraft as “American 2482 on the arrival” and “American 2482 on the departure”.
The controller kept the arriving aircraft above the departing plane and instructed the departing aircraft not to climb too high, maintaining a safe gap between them. He also ensured both crews spotted the other aircraft while they were still miles apart.
“I’ve been working in air traffic for 25 years. I’ve never seen two aircraft pretty much merge with the same call sign. That’s pretty incredible,” he said after the departing plane had safely cleared the area.
After the planes had safely passed each other, the arriving pilot praised the controller’s handling of the situation, calling it “nice work”.
US aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said the duplicate flight number was likely the result of an error at the airline’s dispatch centre, where someone may have failed to notice that both aircraft would be airborne at the same time.
Flight 2482 typically operates between Chicago and Phoenix, with the same aircraft often making the round trip. However, the Chicago flight was delayed because of bad weather, while American Airlines arranged another aircraft in Phoenix to operate the return flight on schedule. That resulted in two aircraft briefly operating under the same flight number and entering the same area of airspace before the Chicago flight landed.
American Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration are expected to investigate the incident. Both said that the most important outcome was that the aircraft remained safely separated and no one was hurt.
American Airlines also praised the air traffic controller for his quick response. “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,” the airline said in a statement.
