Two American Airlines jets same flight number avert disaster near Phoenix

The Story in Brief

An air traffic controller averted a potential collision near Phoenix after two American Airlines jets were found operating under the same flight number at almost the same time. Shortly after midnight on Friday, an American 2482 flight arriving from Chicago was approaching the airport as another American 2482 was preparing to depart. The controller repeatedly referred to each aircraft as “American 2482 on the arrival” and “American 2482 on the departure” to avoid confusion. He kept the arriving jet at a higher altitude and instructed the departing plane not to climb too much, preserving a safe vertical gap. Both pilots could see each other while still several miles apart.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said the overlap likely slipped past the airline’s dispatch operation. He added that such events are rare in four decades of experience. The Chicago-bound flight had been delayed by bad weather, so American arranged another aircraft in Phoenix to operate the scheduled departure on time, causing both planes to briefly share the same airspace.