How a US air traffic controller prevented a potential mid-air collision
- A Phoenix air traffic controller prevented a potential mid-air collision after two American Airlines planes were accidentally assigned the same flight number.
- The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Friday as one American Airlines flight 2482 arrived from Chicago while another flight 2482 was departing Phoenix.
- To avoid confusion, the controller quickly differentiated the aircraft by addressing them as American 2482 on the arrival and American 2482 on the departure.
- The controller kept the arriving plane safely above the departing jet and directed both pilots to keep visual contact while miles apart.
- The 25-year air traffic veteran successfully separated the planes, noting after the incident that the situation could have been disastrous.
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