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ATC.com
Coverage of ATC.com in the Nexus archive.
- 2 planes with the same flight number avoid possible disaster thanks to quick-thinking controller
A potential disaster was averted in Phoenix when an air traffic controller noticed two American Airlines jets were using the same flight number (American 2482). The quick-thinking controller maintained proper separation by clarifying instructions, referring to the planes as “arrival” and “departure.” An expert believes that staff at the airline’s dispatch center failed to prevent both flights from being scheduled simultaneously.