Near-Accident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport To Be Investigated by FAA

WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is investigating a near-accident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on March 7.

The close call involved a grounded regional jet making a wrong turn on the runway as another plane was cleared for takeoff.

Republic Airways Flight 4736 was cleared to taxi across the runway by one air traffic controller, but accidentally turned another direction and nearly interfered with takeoff for United Flight 2003, which was cleared by another controller at about the same time.

“According to a preliminary review, Republic Airways Flight 4736 crossed Runway 1 without clearance, putting the aircraft in the path of United Airlines Flight 2003, which had just been cleared for takeoff,” the agency said in a statement, according to CBS News. “An air traffic controller noticed the situation and immediately canceled the takeoff clearance for the United flight.”

The FAA is hosting a safety summit today to address a recent string of near-accidents at airports across the country, including recent close calls at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in January.

“We are experiencing the safest period in aviation history, but we cannot take this for granted,” FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen said. “Recent events remind us that we must not become complacent. Now is the time to stare into the data and ask the hard questions.”

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