Two planes with the same flight number avoid possible disaster thanks to quick-thinking controller
- A Phoenix air traffic controller noticed two American Airlines jets were flying under the same flight number, American 2482, and acted quickly to keep them separated.
- One flight was arriving from Chicago while the other had just departed Phoenix, and their paths briefly converged in the same airspace.
- The controller clarified instructions by referring to the aircraft as the arrival and the departure, and kept the arriving plane above the departing plane.
- The Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines said they will investigate how the overlap happened, while both said the flights remained safe and completed without incident.
A Phoenix air traffic controller prevented a potentially dangerous situation Friday after realizing that two American Airlines aircraft were operating with the same flight number, American 2482. One plane was arriving from Chicago while the other had departed Phoenix, and the controller moved quickly to avoid confusion as their routes converged.
Audio of the exchange shows the controller labeling the aircraft as the “arrival” and the “departure” to keep them straight. He maintained separation by keeping the arriving plane above the departing one and by ensuring both pilots could see the other aircraft while they were still miles apart.
After the planes passed safely, the arriving pilot praised the controller’s work. American Airlines said its pilots and controllers maintained required separation and that both flights continued safely. The FAA and the airline said they will investigate how the same flight number was assigned to two planes at the same time.
两架同一航班号客机在凤凰城上空险些相撞，空管迅速处置化解险情
一名凤凰城空中交通管制员在周五及时发现，两架美国航空客机竟然使用了同一个航班号 American 2482，从而避免了一起可能的危险事件。其中一架从芝加哥飞抵，另一架从凤凰城起飞，随着航线接近，管制员迅速介入以防止混淆。
相关录音显示，管制员将两架飞机分别称为“到达航班”和“离港航班”，以确保指令清晰。他通过让到达飞机保持在离港飞机上方等方式维持间隔，并让两名飞行员在仍相距数英里时就看见对方。
两机安全错开后，抵达的飞行员称赞了管制员的处理。美国航空表示，飞行员和空管始终保持了规定间隔，两班航班都安全继续飞行。美国联邦航空管理局和航空公司表示，将调查为何会出现两架飞机同时使用同一航班号的情况。