Two planes narrowly avoided a collision on the runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday, according to an air traffic audio recording. This incident marks the second near miss at the airport in just six weeks.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced an investigation into the event involving American Airlines flight 2134. The flight was cleared for takeoff at approximately 10:20 a.m. on Tuesday, while another plane had already been cleared to land on a crossing runway.

"An air traffic controller canceled the takeoff clearance for American Airlines Flight 2134 because another aircraft was cleared to land on an intersecting runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport," an FAA spokesperson stated Thursday morning.

American Airlines commented: "The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we’re grateful to our crew for their professionalism. We will support the FAA in its investigation."

A similar incident occurred at the airport on April 18, involving another near collision.

The American Airlines flight was an Airbus A319 destined for Boston Logan International Airport, according to FlightAware.com. The other aircraft involved was a smaller private plane, a Hawker Beechcraft Super King Air.

Audio captured by LiveATC.com reveals a flight controller urgently instructing: "American 2134 cancel takeoff clearance," followed by a directive to the other plane to not land and instead circle the airport. "Zero Alpha Alpha, go around, go around!" the controller is heard saying.

The pilot of the private plane responded: "And Aero Alpha Alpha cannot go around, we were already on the ground."

Subsequently, the controller instructed AA2134 to exit the runway for "resequencing" or return to the gate. The pilot of the American Airlines flight noted that the plane, traveling at over 80 knots (92 mph) when the takeoff was canceled, would require an inspection. "Uh, we're gonna, we need to talk to maintenance, but yeah I think, uh, we were above 80 knots so [we're] gonna have to get an inspection," he said.

Flightpath data from adsbexchange.com, which tracks and records planes' locations, showed the American Airlines plane beginning its takeoff as the other plane was landing and approaching the runway intersection.

Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) commented on the incident, emphasizing that the airport's operations were at capacity. "I'm relieved no one was hurt. But this incident underscores again that DCA is at capacity," he said on X, urging the FAA to reject any new flight routes that "compromise safety."

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority declined to comment.

In 2023, the FAA held a safety summit to address potential changes to flight regulations following a series of near-collisions. This summit brought together industry experts, aviation professionals, and regulatory authorities to discuss measures aimed at enhancing safety protocols and minimizing the risk of such incidents in the future. Key topics included the implementation of advanced radar systems, improved communication channels between pilots and air traffic controllers, and stricter guidelines for runway usage during peak hours. The FAA has since been working on updating its safety guidelines and is expected to release new regulations later this year.

Despite these efforts, the recent incidents at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport highlight the ongoing challenges in managing air traffic at one of the nation's busiest airports. Passengers and crew members are understandably concerned, and there is growing pressure on the FAA to expedite the implementation of more stringent safety measures. The aviation community will be closely monitoring the outcomes of the FAA's investigation into the latest near miss to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to prevent future occurrences.