PHOENIX — Two American Airlines jets shared the same flight number, American 2482, while one was landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and the other was taking off. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Friday.

The arriving flight originated from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and the departing flight was headed to Chicago. The air traffic controller differentiated the aircraft by using the descriptions "American 2482 on the arrival" and "American 2482 on the departure." The controller kept the arriving plane above the departing plane and directed the departing plane not to climb too high to maintain separation.

"I've been working air traffic for 25 years. I've never seen two aircraft pretty much merge with the same call sign. That's pretty incredible," the Phoenix air traffic controller said. It could have been disastrous, but I'm glad it all worked out, the controller added. The arriving pilot complimented the controller for his "nice work" once the two planes had passed each other safely.

The Federal Aviation Administration stated that the two planes maintained the required separation the entire time. The agency is investigating the incident. American Airlines is reviewing the details related to the two flights with the same callsign.

American Airlines stated that the diligence and professionalism of air traffic controllers and pilots ensured required separation was always maintained and the issue was identified and addressed. The carrier also stated that both flights continued safely and without incident. American Airlines stated the situation was triggered because the flight arriving from Chicago was delayed. The arriving plane was supposed to land in Phoenix, take on new passengers, and return to Chicago on the same callsign, but a different aircraft was used for the departure due to the delay.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said it is likely that someone inside the airline’s dispatch center failed to catch that both planes would be in the air at the same time with identical flight numbers. Arroyo has worked in aviation for four decades, starting as a dispatcher before becoming a pilot. "You can drop the ball and that shouldn’t happen, but it’s nice to see that the system is resilient and we have all the safeguards," Arroyo said.

Why It Matters

The Federal Aviation Administration is the U.S. government agency regulating civil aviation. Its investigation into the duplicate call sign incident will determine whether procedural changes are necessary to prevent similar occurrences. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport serves as a major hub for domestic travel, making coordination between arrivals and departures critical for safety.

American Airlines' internal review complements the federal probe by examining dispatch protocols that allowed two active flights to share an identifier. The event shows the reliance on human vigilance within automated systems, as demonstrated by the controller's manual separation of the aircraft. Both agencies and the airline must address the root cause to ensure such overlaps do not recur in high-traffic airspace.