FAA Probes Close Call After Two Delta Jets Cross Paths In Atlanta

Published Jul 29, 2026, 10:34 AM EDT A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. Earlier this week, two domestic Delta Air Lines flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) had their anti-collision alarms sound after coming into close proximity with one another while one departed and the other arrived. The nature of the incident, which the FAA has said that it plans to investigate, occurred while the arriving flight was going around due to an occupied runway. The incident occurred late on Monday evening, at the end of a long day which had already seen extensive operational disruption in Atlanta, where Delta Air Lines is by far the largest operator, due to adverse weather. However, as both planes were ultimately able to land safely, the incident also showcased the efficiency of the various corresponding safety procedures. Let's take a look at what happened. The Inbound Flight Had Already Been Diverted Earlier That Evening According to reporting on the matter by CNN, the inbound flight involved in the close call was Delta Air Lines flight DL1568. This service had originated at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) in the US state of Pennsylvania, with historical tracking data made available by Flightradar24 showing that it departed at 6:17 PM, just four minutes behind schedule. It was operated by a Boeing 737-900ER. However, bad weather forced the 737, which bore the registration N937DZ, to divert instead to Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) in Tennessee, where it landed at 7:49 PM local time. It eventually resumed its journey at 10:36 PM, but, while attempting to land in Atlanta at around 11:00 PM, it had to go around due to an aircraft on the runway, at which point it then came close to another Delta jet. Delta said: "During the go-around, the flight crew maneuvered in accordance with established procedures while maintaining safe operations. Our crews train extensively to handle uncommon scenarios like this" The Situation Occurred During A Go-Around The reason for the sounding of the alarm was reportedly the fact that another Delta Air Lines flight, DL2472 to Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) in Monroe County, New York, crossed in front of the arriving 737 after departing Atlanta. Specifically, the flight, which was operated by an Airbus A321-200 that bore the registration N333DX, took off from a parallel runway before making a right turn. This brought it into the path of the 737 from Chattanooga that was already going around due to an aircraft occupying its own runway. Anti-collision alarms sounded in both cockpits, and evasive action was taken. CNN said that the planes were 1,800 feet apart at their closest point of proximity, and separated by 600 feet in altitude. Per CBS, live ATC recordings captured expressions such as "my goodness." After the air traffic controller directed the two planes away from each other, the Rochester-bound flight continued on its journey to the northeast as planned. As for the inbound flight from Chattanooga, after flying a loop around Atlanta to the north of the airport, it touched down at 11:16 PM local time. Compared to its planned arrival at 8:05 PM, this represented a considerable delay of more than three hours. The Departing Flight Continued To Its Destination As Planned Following the close call with the inbound Boeing 737-900ER from Chattanooga, Delta Air Lines flight DL2472 then had an uneventful trip to Rochester, where the Airbus A321-200 landed at 12:44 AM on Tuesday after one hour and 43 minutes in the air. This, in and of itself, represented a delay, as the service was originally meant to touch down in New York State at 11:48 PM on Monday, July 27, 2026. Simple Flying Quiz Think you really know Delta Air Lines? Answer 10 questions and put your knowledge to the test Simple Flying Quiz Think you really know Delta Air Lines? Answer 10 questions and put your knowledge to the test However, adverse weather in and around Atlanta meant that this was one of many flights in and out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport that were delayed two days ago. Indeed, according to FlightAware, 34 departures (2%) were canceled, with another 493 (39%) being delayed. Inbound traffic didn't fare much better, with 31 arrivals (2%) canceled and another 379 inbound flights (29%) running late.