News

NTSB Publishes Preliminary Report on Reagan National Near Miss

Agency’s investigation into loss of separation incident remains ongoing.

Thursday, July 03, 2025 at 04:13 PM ET

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Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport [Credit: Mark Stebnicki/Pexels]

Key Takeaways:

A near-miss occurred between a U.S. Air Force T-38 formation and a Delta Air Lines A319 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), coming within 0.64 nm horizontally and 100 feet vertically.
The incident was caused by a misinterpretation of an Air Traffic Control (ATC) directive, where a "hard stop" order for departures was not implemented immediately, allowing the Delta flight to take off minutes before the military formation.
The military pilots averted a collision by visually identifying the Delta jet and adjusting course, with no reported damage or injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the ATC procedures and communication involved, with parties including the FAA, NATCA, and U.S. Air Force.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating a loss of separation incident that occurred between DRAGO61, a flight of four U.S. Air Force T-38s, and Delta Air Lines Flight 2983, an Airbus A319. The near miss happened approximately 0.6 miles south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) at about 3:16 p.m. EDT.

This incident occurred on March 28, around two months after the deadly midair collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a CRJ-700, killing all 67 on both aircraft.

Ryan is Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group, overseeing a portfolio that includes FLYING, AirlineGeeks, AVweb, Plane + Pilot, KITPLANES, and AircraftForSale.com. He founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has more than a decade of experience across aviation media, airport operations, airline workforce planning, and Part 135 regulatory compliance. His experience ranges from time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing aviation industry executives. Ryan holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and is an adjunct instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.