An American Airlines flight arriving at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport had to abandon its landing and perform a go-around after an air traffic controller instructed the crew to avoid getting too close to another plane taking off from the same runway. The incident involved American Flight 2246 from Boston and took place around 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday.
Less than two hours later, at Chicago’s Midway Airport, another plane was also forced to execute a go-around to avoid a conflict. Southwest Flight 2504, coming from Omaha, Nebraska, was making its approach when it had to climb back into the sky to avoid another aircraft crossing its runway. According to a Southwest spokesperson, the crew followed proper safety procedures, and the flight eventually landed without any issues.
American Airlines stated that Flight 2246, which was arriving at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, “landed safely and normally” after being instructed by air traffic control to perform a go-around. This maneuver was necessary to give another aircraft more time to take off from the same runway.
American Airlines explained that its policy allows for go-arounds without fault, as it is not considered an abnormal maneuver. Go-arounds can occur frequently in the National Airspace System and are an essential safety tool used by both pilots and air traffic controllers to ensure safe and efficient operations.
In recent weeks, North America has witnessed four major aviation incidents. These include the tragic crash of a commuter plane in Alaska on February 6, which killed all 10 people on board, and a midair collision on January 26 between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight at National Airport, which resulted in the deaths of all 67 people aboard the two aircraft.
Additionally, a medical transport jet crashed on January 31 in a Philadelphia neighborhood, killing seven people, including the child patient, her mother, and four other individuals, while injuring 19 others. On February 17, a Delta flight overturned and landed on its roof at Toronto Pearson Airport, injuring 21 people.