Two American Airlines planes were simultaneously operating Flight 2482 near Phoenix
Near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in the U.S. state of Arizona, two American Airlines planes were simultaneously using the same call sign—American Airlines Flight 2482. An air traffic controller quickly ensured the safe separation of the aircraft, NDTV World reports, citing CBS News.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Friday. One plane was arriving from Chicago, while the other was preparing to depart from Phoenix. Because they shared the same flight number, both crews heard the same call sign, which could have caused confusion as the planes’ flight paths converged.
According to a recording of the communications released by ATC.com, the air traffic controller distinguished between the planes as “American 2482 arriving” and “American 2482 departing.” He kept the arriving aircraft higher than the departing one and instructed the crew of the latter not to climb too high. The air traffic controller also made sure that the pilots of both aircraft saw each other while there was still a significant distance between them.
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Flight 2482 normally operates between Chicago and Phoenix. The flight from Chicago was delayed due to bad weather, and American Airlines assigned another aircraft in Phoenix to operate the return flight on schedule. As a result, the two planes briefly shared the same flight number in the same airspace until the Chicago-bound flight landed.
Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo suggested that the duplicate flight number may have occurred due to an error at the airline’s control center. American Airlines stated that air traffic controllers and pilots maintained the necessary safety separation at all times, and both flights continued without incident. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the airline are expected to investigate the situation.
