Two American Airlines Jets Nearly Collide After Sharing the Same Flight Number

A potential mid-air disaster was narrowly averted near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona after two American Airlines Boeing 737-800 aircraft were operating under the same flight number, American 2482, at nearly the same time. One aircraft was arriving from Chicago while another had departed Phoenix for Chicago. A weather-related delay to the incoming flight resulted in the unusual situation, with both aircraft operating under the same call sign in the same airspace. Such an overlap is extremely rare and is believed to have stemmed from an operational scheduling error.

The potential danger was spotted by an alert air traffic controller, who immediately distinguished the two aircraft as the arrival and departure and instructed the pilots to maintain different altitudes. The arriving aircraft was directed to remain higher while the departing aircraft continued at a lower altitude, allowing both jets to safely pass each other. The controller, who has 25 years of experience, reportedly said he had never encountered a situation like this before. The FAA and American Airlines are investigating how the duplicate call sign occurred.