Phoenix controller prevents confusion after two American Airlines flights operate with same callsign

An air traffic controller in Phoenix has been praised for his quick response after two American Airlines aircraft were simultaneously operating as flight AA2482, creating a potentially dangerous callsign confusion as their flight paths converged.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Friday. One American Airlines aircraft (Boeing 737-800 reg. N913AN) was arriving in Phoenix from Chicago, while another (Boeing 737-800 reg. N925AN) had already departed Phoenix using exactly the same flight number.

The unusual situation arose after the Chicago–Phoenix service was delayed by bad weather. Rather than delay the return flight, American Airlines assigned another aircraft in Phoenix to operate the scheduled departure. As a result, both aircraft were briefly airborne in the same area using the callsign “American 2482.”

Recognising the potential for pilots to mistake instructions intended for the other aircraft, the Phoenix controller began identifying them as “American 2482 on the arrival” and “American 2482 on the departure.”

As the aircraft’s flight paths converged, he kept the arriving aircraft above the departing jet and restricted the latter’s climb to maintain vertical separation. He also ensured that both flight crews had visual contact with the other aircraft while they were still several miles apart.

Required separation was maintained throughout, and both flights continued safely. The arriving pilot subsequently congratulated the controller for his handling of the situation.

American Airlines said the professionalism of the pilots and controller ensured that the issue was identified and resolved without incident.

The Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines are investigating how two aircraft were allowed to operate simultaneously with the same flight number and callsign. The incident is expected to focus attention on airline dispatch procedures designed to prevent duplicate callsigns when delays cause normally sequential flights to overlap.