Flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were suspended after two pilots reported a drone above the active runway

Flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were suspended for approximately 20 minutes after two pilots reported seeing a drone above the active runway. The incident occurred during landing and takeoff operations, and authorities intervened because of the risk of collision with passenger aircraft.

An American Airlines pilot, who was landing from Tulsa, told the control tower that he had seen an object resembling a drone crossing the runway. Another pilot, on a charter flight to New Jersey, reported seeing a light that he believed came from an unmanned aircraft.

Controllers warned air traffic about unauthorized activity by an unmanned aircraft system near the airport. Operations personnel searched for the drone, but it was not found. The FAA informed local and federal authorities, and the FBI is investigating the incident.

Drone flights are prohibited in much of the airspace over the American capital and near airports. Reagan Airport is located next to the Pentagon, a few kilometers from the White House and the Capitol.