A recent close call between two airplanes at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Republic Airways Flight 4736 crossed a runway at DCA without clearance the morning of March 7, putting it in the path of another flight — United Airlines Flight 2003 — that had just been cleared for takeoff, the FAA told NBC News on Tuesday.
After clearing the United flight for takeoff, an air traffic controller saw what happened and canceled the clearance.
"United 2003 cancel takeoff clearance," the air traffic controller said. "Aborting takeoff, aborting takeoff United 2003."
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The Republic pilot had initially been cleared to cross a different runway but turned onto the wrong taxiway, according to the FAA.
The FAA is hosting an impromptu safety summit Wednesday to assess whether changes need to be made to how American flights are regulated.
In an interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen said that while it remains safe to fly, officials have grown concerned as they have begun "to see things that we don’t expect to see."
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Read more about NBC News' interview with Nolen here.
