Delta flight near-miss collision with US Air Force jet at Washington airport

It was a close call for a Delta Air Lines flight and a US Air Force jet near Reagan Washington National Airport.

On Friday, Delta Flight 2389, an Airbus A319 en route to Minneapolis, was cleared for takeoff around 3:15 p.m. ET (1915 GMT). Meanwhile, four US Air Force T-38 Talons were inbound for a flyover at nearby Arlington National Cemetery, the FAA reported.

The Delta jet received a cockpit collision warning, alerting the flight crew that another aircraft was in close proximity. Air traffic controllers issued corrective instructions to both aircraft to avoid a potential collision.

The incident follows a deadly mid-air collision on January 29 near the same airport, involving a passenger jet and a US Army helicopter, which tragically killed 67 people. This marked the first deadly US passenger airline crash in 16 years.

A series of alarming near-miss incidents over the past two years has raised serious concerns about U.S. aviation safety and the strain on understaffed air traffic control operations.

Delta, which had five crew members and 131 passengers on board, stated that the flight crew followed standard procedures to maneuver the aircraft as instructed.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate a close call that occurred on Friday between a Delta Air Lines flight and a US Air Force jet near Reagan Washington National Airport.

The incident follows a mid-air collision on January 29 near the same airport involving a passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter, which killed 67 in the first deadly US passenger airline crash in 16 years.

A series of troubling near-miss incidents over the past two years has raised concerns about U.S. aviation safety and the strain on understaffed air traffic control operations.

The Pentagon said it was aware of reports about Friday's incident but did not have an immediate comment.

Delta, which said there were five crew members and 131 passengers on board, said "the flight crew followed procedures to maneuver the aircraft as instructed... We will cooperate with regulators and aviation stakeholders in any review of this flight."

CNN, citing audio captured by website LiveATC.net, reported the Delta pilot asked controllers if there was "an actual aircraft about 500 ft below us" as the commercial jet left the airport. The controller responded "affirmative," CNN said.

The January collision raised questions about the military's failure to use a key safety system known as ADS-B on helicopter training flights.

The FAA has since imposed permanent restrictions on non-essential helicopter operations around Reagan and barred helicopters and passenger jets from flying near each other.

The FAA's actions followed two urgent safety recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board after the collision.

Last month, a Southwest Airlines flight was less than 200 feet behind a business jet when the Southwest pilot aborted the landing and made an emergency maneuver to narrowly avoid a collision at Chicago Midway Airport.

On March 1, more than a dozen flights on final approach to Reagan National received false cockpit collision warnings, prompting at least six to abort landings.

The FAA and a senator said it was prompted by government testing of counter-drone technology.

With Inputs from Reuters.