Passenger and military jets diverted to avoid possible collision over US capital

The air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

A US passenger flight preparing to leave the nation’s capital and an incoming military jet received instructions to divert and prevent a possible collision, officials said.

Delta Air Lines Flight 2983 was cleared for takeoff at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Friday around 3:15pm, the same time four US Air Force T-38 Talon aircraft were inbound, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.