A disaster was averted: two planes flew under the same number and nearly collided

An air traffic controller in Phoenix prevented a disaster when he spotted two American Airlines planes flying under the same flight number, 2482. The controller distinguished between the aircraft, maintained a safe distance, and landed them safely. A safety expert noted that this was a rare mistake.

An unusual incident in Phoenix, USA, was narrowly avoided when an air traffic controller identified that two American Airlines planes were flying under the same flight number, 2482. The event occurred shortly after midnight, with one plane arriving from Chicago and another departing from Phoenix. The controller, with 25 years of experience, noticed the problem in the air traffic recording and acted quickly to prevent confusion between the crews. He referred to the planes as 'American 2482 landing' and 'American 2482 departing', kept the landing plane at a safe altitude above the departing one, and ensured both crews could see each other. After they passed each other safely, the pilot arriving from Chicago complimented the controller on his work. Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, who worked four decades at United Airlines, explained that someone in the dispatch center may not have realized that both planes would be airborne simultaneously, and that this was a mistake that should not happen, but the incident illustrates the system's ability to handle failures.