Jetblue and Southwest Airlines near-miss in Washington, D.C.

A Jetblue Embraer E190 had a near-miss incident with a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8 Aircraft at Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington D.C. 

‘A JetBlue flight was starting its takeoff roll on runway 4 at the airport in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., around 7:41 a.m. Thursday, when an air traffic controller instructed a Southwest Airlines flight to cross the same runway’, the FAA said in a statement. The FAA also included that it will be investigating this incident. 

The Jetblue Embraer E190 was bound for Boston, and landed safely after inspection in Washington at 2:47pm, according to FlightRadar24, an aircraft tracking site. The Jetblue flight was delayed approximately for 6 hours after its scheduled take-off time. The Southwest flight, meanwhile, continued to its destination in Orlando, arriving on time at its destination. There are no injuries sustained in this incident.

‘The aircraft was inspected before ultimately taking off for Boston. Safety is JetBlue’s first priority, and we will work closely with federal officials as this event is fully investigated,’ Jetblue mentioned in a statement provided to ABC news.

This incident comes amidst a recent spate of close calls which have been on an increasing trend, as noted by the FAA, in an article by Associated Press, which mentions that it is a clear warning sign that the aviation system is under stress.