There have been at least six significant close calls at airports so far this year, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a recent close call between two planes at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
At around 8:30 a.m. on March 7, Republic Airways Flight 4736 crossed a runway at DCA without clearance. The plane crossed the path of United Airlines Flight 2003, which had just been cleared for takeoff, the FAA said.
“The pilot of the Republic flight had originally been cleared to cross Runway 4 but turned on the wrong taxiway,” the FAA said in a statement detailing its preliminary review of the incident.
The Republic aircraft was an Embraer 175 and the United aircraft was an Airbus A319. The FAA said it will determine the closest proximity between the two aircraft as part of its investigation.
The FAA is hosting a Safety Summit Wednesday morning to evaluate whether regulations need to be updated in response to several close calls this year.