Another Dangerous Near Miss Just Happened at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

A Delta flight departing Washington, DC, came dangerously close to colliding with a military jet just weeks after a deadly mid-air crash near the same airport. The FAA has launched an investigation into the incident.

Key Facts:

Delta Flight 2983 left Reagan National Airport at 2:55 p.m. Friday, bound for Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Four Air Force T-38 Talon jets flew into the same airspace near Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover.
The Delta plane received a “resolution advisory” from its onboard safety system, signaling the near collision.
Pilots confirmed a military aircraft was just 500 feet below them shortly after takeoff.
The FAA is investigating the incident; no injuries were reported.

The Rest of The Story:

The close call happened Friday afternoon shortly after the Delta flight took off from Reagan National Airport.

As the commercial jet flew south over the Potomac River, a formation of military T-38 jets crossed its path heading west toward a ceremonial flyover.

Pilots on the Delta flight asked air traffic control if there had indeed been a plane just 500 feet below them.

The controller confirmed.

Aboard the Delta jet were 131 passengers, three flight attendants, and two pilots.

The Air Force jet was carrying two servicemembers.

Close Call at Washington (DCA): Delta Airbus A319 and USAF T-38 Jet in Near Miss 📰

A close call between a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 (Reg. N342NB) and a US Air Force T-38 jet (67-1833) at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Friday raised alarms in the cockpit of… pic.twitter.com/BDyIBJ0obU

— AirNav Radar (@AirNavRadar) March 29, 2025

This incident comes just two months after a tragic crash in the same airspace.

On January 29, an American Airlines regional jet collided mid-air with a military helicopter, killing all 67 people onboard both aircraft.

In response, the FAA had imposed permanent restrictions to prevent future incidents.

Commentary:

The skies over Washington, DC, should be among the most carefully monitored in the country.

Instead, they’ve become the setting for repeated aviation near-disasters—and deadly tragedies.

This latest near miss involving a commercial Delta flight and a military jet adds to a growing list of incidents that point to systemic problems with air traffic coordination.

Commercial pilots rely on high-tech collision avoidance systems and trained air traffic controllers to keep passengers safe.

But when those systems are forced to compensate for human or procedural lapses, something is wrong.

That’s exactly what happened here.

It’s deeply concerning that military jets were operating just 500 feet below a commercial flight path.

The fact that this happened shortly after a deadly crash in the same airspace raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the changes the FAA put in place.

Senator Amy Klobuchar’s call for answers is a step in the right direction, but Congress and the FAA must go further.

Unbelievably dangerous and thank God people are safe.

My first call to Department of Defense tomorrow: why are your planes flying 500 feet below passenger jets full of Minnesotans headed from DCA to my state. https://t.co/RjjjcFfjwG

— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) March 29, 2025

This isn’t about finger-pointing—it’s about ensuring that the airspace above our nation’s capital isn’t a risk zone for unsuspecting travelers.

Too many close calls have occurred in recent years.

And when near misses become routine, it’s only a matter of time before the next tragedy.

The nation’s air traffic safety systems, especially near high-traffic and sensitive zones like DC, need more than tweaks.

They need a full-scale overhaul.

The Bottom Line:

Another dangerous incident has unfolded in the same DC airspace where 67 people were killed just two months ago.

The Delta near miss reveals serious flaws in managing shared military and commercial flight paths.

Without major reform, it’s only a matter of time before tragedy strikes again.