By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-15 16:22:05 | Updated at 2026-08-15 17:22:33
1 hour ago
Two American Airlines planes were on course to collide in mid-air after a blundering staffer gave them exactly the same flight number.
The incident happened over the skies of Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday after two aircraft were given the call signs AA2482.
That meant both were receiving identical instructions from air traffic control on what route to take - putting them on course to crash into one another.
Disaster was averted thanks to a controller who spotted the dangerous error.
'I've been working air traffic for 25 years. I've never seen two aircraft pretty much merge with the same call sign,' the unnamed controller said around midnight. 'That's pretty incredible.'
The planes were both flying the same route, between Phoenix and Chicago.
It is generally worked by a single plane that goes back and forth between the two cities, but a delay on Friday meant that American brought a second plane into service to help get the service back on track.
It was only when the Chicago-bound jet began to climb towards the Phoenix-bound plane that the controller realized what was happening.
He quickly asked the two planes to maintain different altitudes to keep both aircraft well apart.
'[There's] traffic [at] one o'clock and 10 miles, it's your company, same call sign,' he informed the pilot.
Two American Airlines planes were flying in and out of Phoenix with the same call number on Friday, which could have ended in diaster if an air traffic controller hadn't noticed just in time
Typically, AA2482 is only plane that makes roundtrips between Phoenix and Chicago, but American got a second plane due to a weather delay
'Incredible,' the pilot deadpanned. 'We're looking, thank you. In sight, actually.
The audio posted by ATC.com shows how the controller quickly started referring to 'American 2482 on the arrival' and 'American 2482 on the departure' to tell the two aircraft apart.
The Phoenix-bound pilot complimented the controller for his 'nice work' once the two planes had passed each other safely.
'It could have been disastrous, but I'm glad it worked out,' the controller replied.
Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo told the Associated Press that the blunder likely originated in American's dispatch center.
A worker there likely failed to realize that two planes with the same flight number would be in the air at the same time.
'You can drop the ball and that shouldn't happen, but it's nice to see that the system is resilient and we have all the safeguards,' said Arroyo, who has only seen this type of issue a couple times in his four decades with United Airlines. Arroyo started his career as a dispatcher before becoming a pilot.
'I've been working air traffic for 25 years. I've never seen two aircraft pretty much merge with the same call sign,' the controller said around midnight. 'That's pretty incredible' (stock image)
The Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines will investigate how this happened, and they both emphasized how glad they were that everyone remained safe.
'The diligence and professionalism of air traffic controllers and our pilots ensured required separation was always maintained and the issue was identified and addressed. Both flights continued safely and without incident,' American Airlines said in a statement.
