Both aircraft were operating as American 2482 when an arriving jet and a departing flight converged in Phoenix airspace.
PHOENIX — A Phoenix air traffic controller kept two American Airlines jets safely separated early Friday after realizing both were operating under the same flight number as one arrived from Chicago and the other departed Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The unusual situation developed shortly after midnight Aug. 14, when both aircraft were identified as American 2482. Air traffic control audio shows the controller recognized the duplicate call sign and began distinguishing the planes as the arriving American 2482 and the departing American 2482. American Airlines said required separation was maintained and both flights continued safely without incident.
The overlap was tied to a weather delay affecting the Flight 2482 aircraft coming from Chicago. The flight number is used on a route that travels between Chicago and Phoenix, typically with the same aircraft making the trip in both directions. Because the Chicago flight was delayed, American Airlines used another aircraft in Phoenix so the outbound flight could leave on schedule. That temporarily placed two separate jets in the air under the same flight number.
As their flight paths moved closer together, the controller took steps to make clear which instructions applied to each crew. He referred to one aircraft as the arrival and the other as the departure, kept the arriving jet above the departing plane and restricted the departing aircraft’s climb so vertical separation would remain between them.
The controller also confirmed that the pilots could see the other aircraft while they were still miles apart. After the planes passed safely, the arriving pilot praised the controller’s work. The controller said in the recorded exchange that he had spent 25 years in air traffic control and had never seen two aircraft come together in that way while sharing the same call sign.
The duplicate call sign created a potentially serious communication problem because pilots rely on their flight identifiers to determine whether an instruction from air traffic control is directed at them. With two crews answering to American 2482, an unclear instruction could have caused confusion over altitude or direction. The controller’s use of separate arrival and departure descriptions helped prevent that ambiguity.
Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo told The Associated Press that the overlap likely was not caught during the airline’s dispatch process before both planes were airborne. Arroyo, who began his aviation career as a dispatcher before becoming a pilot and spent decades with United Airlines, said he had encountered similar situations only a few times during his career.
American Airlines credited the controller and the pilots for identifying and addressing the problem. The airline said their professionalism ensured required separation was maintained throughout the encounter. Neither aircraft was reported damaged, and no injuries were reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines are investigating how two aircraft came to operate under the same flight number at the same time. The available reports have not identified an individual responsible for the scheduling overlap, and no finding on the cause of the error had been announced as of Saturday.
Author note: Last updated August 15, 2026.