Seconds From Landing in DC, Pilot Finds Runway Impeded

The FAA is investigating a near miss at Reagan National Airport on Monday. American Airlines Flight 4528, which departed from Detroit and was operated by Republic Airways, was descending around 7am when the pilot interrupted the approach with an urgent query, per CNN: "Tower, is there a vehicle on [runway] 33?" The air traffic controller's answer—"Affirmative. Go around"—prompted the crew to quickly abort the landing, with the plane just 150 feet up and three-quarters of a mile from touchdown, according to Flightradar24 data.

The FAA says maintenance crews were inspecting the runway at the time. By the time the vehicle cleared out—less than 12 seconds later—the go-around was already in motion. The aircraft circled for about 15 minutes before landing safely. This incident is the latest in a string of close calls at the busy Washington, DC airport, where a commercial jet trying to land on runway 33 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission in January, killing 67 people. The aftermath saw sweeping changes, from shuttered helicopter routes to revamped air traffic staffing and new operational rules.

Still, there have been numerous incidents, per the Washington Post. In March, a Delta jet's collision alarm sounded when Air Force planes flying over Arlington National Cemetery came too close for comfort. May brought another scare when a circling Army helicopter forced two passenger jets to abort landings. (Some debris from January's crash was found only last week.)