Potential disaster between two passenger jets averted in the US

A potential mid-air collision was averted in the US after a Phoenix air traffic controller recognised that two American Airlines planes were mistakenly flying under the same number, and acted quickly to keep them apart.

Audio of the incident posted on ATC.com revealed how the air traffic controller ensured the planes, both called American 2482, were kept apart as one arrived from Chicago shortly after the other had departed from Phoenix.

In the audio, the controller quickly began referring to the arriving plane as "American 2482 on the arrival" and the departing one as "American 2482 on the departure" to keep them straight and tell them apart.

He kept the arriving plane safely above the departing one, even as their flight paths converged, and made sure the pilots of both planes saw each other when they were miles apart.

The controller also directed the departing plane not to climb too high to keep a gap with the arriving one.

"I've been working air traffic for 25 years. I've never seen two aircraft pretty much merge with the same call sign. That's pretty incredible," he said after the departing plane had safely cleared the area.

The arriving pilot also complimented the controller's "nice work" once the two planes had passed each other safely.

"It could have been disastrous, but I'm glad it worked out," the controller replied.

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US aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said it's likely someone inside the airline's dispatch centre failed to catch that both planes would be in the air at the same time with identical flight numbers.

"You can drop the ball, and that shouldn't happen, but it's nice to see that the system is resilient and we have all the safeguards," said Arroyo.

American Airlines Flight 2482 is a round-trip route that often flies between Chicago and Phoenix.

The same plane typically goes back and forth between the two cities, but the flight out of Chicago was delayed by weather, so American Airlines found a second plane in Phoenix, which left on time.

As a result, both planes briefly shared the same airspace before the arriving flight landed.

The incident will be investigated by both American Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration, both of whom emphasised their relief that everyone remained safe.

American Airlines was also quick to praise the controller's efforts.

"The diligence and professionalism of air traffic controllers and our pilots ensured required separation was always maintained and the issue was identified and addressed. Both flights continued safely and without incident," the airline said in a statement.

(c) Sky News 2026: Potential disaster between two passenger jets averted in the US