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Air Traffic Controller Prevents Collision of Two American Airlines Flights Sharing Same Call Sign in Phoenix
Just the facts
American Airlines Flight 2482 arriving from Chicago O'Hare International Airport was delayed, prompting the airline to dispatch a replacement aircraft in Phoenix, Arizona, to depart on schedule under the same flight number. The arrival of the delayed flight coincided with the departure of the second plane, resulting in both aircraft sharing call sign American 2482 on the same operational radio frequency. The air traffic controller identified the conflict as the inbound plane prepared to land while the outbound plane was taking off, and immediately issued separate call signs using 'American 2842 departing' and 'American 2482 arriving' to keep the jets separated. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that both aircraft maintained required separation throughout the incident and safety was not compromised. American Airlines stated it is reviewing the internal scheduling logistics that caused two active flights to carry identical call signs simultaneously.
Why this is news
An air traffic controller at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport intervened after two American Airlines flights were mistakenly assigned the same flight number and radio frequency. The Federal Aviation Administration initiated an investigation into how the flight scheduling conflict occurred.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.