Just one day after the Federal Aviation Administration's leader told a Senate hearing that his organization has to "do better"in identifying safety threats like the conditions that precipitated January's deadly midair collision at Reagan National Airport, a Delta passenger jet had a near-miss with a US Air Force jet near that very same airport. 

The news was all the more disturbing given the January disaster that killed 67 people also involved a military aircraft -- a US Army Black Hawk helicopter on a night training run. In Friday's near-miss, the pilots of a Delta Airbus A319 that had just taken off for Minneapolis - Saint Paul received a warning about a USAF T-38 that had come from Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. The aircraft was one of four of its type that were heading for a flyover at Arlington National Cemetery. ("Is this trip near Reagan National really necessary?" ) 

With the T-38 closing in at more than 350 miles per hour and an altitude of 800 feet, the Delta pilots received a warning or "resolution advisory" from their onboard Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System. Air traffic controllers issued instructions to both aircraft to help them avoid a collision. 

Afterward, the Delta pilot asked the tower to confirm the dangerousness of the situation. “On that departure … was there an actual aircraft about 500 ft below us as we came off of DCA?” the pilot was heard asking via LiveATC.net audio reviewed by CNN. “Delta 2983, affirmative,” replied the Departure air traffic controller. Were it not for the evasive action, Friday could have brought an even worse disaster than the January collision: The Delta plane was carrying 131 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants...

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