Air Traffic Controller Averts Potential Collision Between Two American Airlines Flights in Phoenix

A potentially dangerous situation involving two American Airlines aircraft flying under the same flight number was safely resolved by an air traffic controller's quick response shortly after midnight on Friday.

According to ABC News, both aircraft were operating under the callsign "American 2482." One flight was arriving in Phoenix from Chicago, while another had departed Phoenix using the same flight number. At one point, the two aircraft came into close proximity in the same airspace.

After identifying the issue, the air traffic controller immediately began distinguishing the aircraft by referring to them as "American 2482 Arrival" and "American 2482 Departure." The controller maintained safe vertical separation by keeping the arriving aircraft above the departing one and ensured that both flight crews had visual contact with each other from several miles away. The departing aircraft was also instructed not to climb any higher until the situation was safely resolved.

Once the aircraft had safely passed one another, the pilot of the arriving flight praised the controller, saying, "Great job."

The controller replied, "That could have been a terrible disaster, but I'm glad everything worked out."

The controller, who has 25 years of experience in air traffic control, said he had never before encountered two aircraft operating simultaneously with the same callsign, describing the incident as extremely rare and unprecedented.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo suggested that the duplication may have been overlooked by the airline's dispatch center. According to Arroyo, neither the dispatchers nor the flight crews appeared to notice that two aircraft would be operating in the same airspace with the identical flight number when the flight plans were approved.

Flight 2482 normally operates between Chicago and Phoenix. Because the inbound flight from Chicago was delayed due to bad weather, American Airlines reportedly launched another aircraft from Phoenix on schedule using the same flight number. As a result, both aircraft briefly shared the same airspace under identical callsigns.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and American Airlines are investigating the incident.

In a statement, American Airlines said that the professionalism and vigilance of both the pilots and air traffic controllers ensured that all required separation standards were maintained throughout the event, and both flights landed safely without incident.