Pilots Meow And Bark At Air Traffic Controllers Below 10,000 Feet, Prompting FAA Investigation
With two fatal crashes in the United States since 2024, it's safe to say that the safety of commercial aviation continues to be under intense scrutiny. The general public wouldn't be comforted to hear pilots making animal noises at each other over an emergency frequency. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines Bombardier CRJ pilots were meowing and barking at each other over the radio near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Sunday. The incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Two pilots appeared to make meowing noises and dog barks as they communicated with each other before air traffic control at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport called them out on Sunday.
"You guys, you need to be professional," an air traffic controller is heard saying. pic.twitter.com/gOGUrVW968
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 15, 2026
The pair of troublemaking pilots did face immediate resistance to their antics. From a recording shared by CBS News, an air traffic controller quickly chimed in, "You guys need to be professional pilots." The animal noises didn't stop, and a third pilot piped up to say, "This is why you still fly an RJ." The duo seemingly ignored the insult to their lowly status as regional jet pilots and kept going. Dennis Tajer, a pilot and Allied Pilots Association spokesperson, told ABC News that he's heard meowing on the emergency frequency before. He added:
"It's not entertainment, it's a serious frequency and it has a serious purpose. Anything that contaminates that with idle humor or any kind of schtick is not received well and it should stop."
We know why clear communications matter for air safety
Sadly, you don't have to look that far into the past to see how crucial air traffic control communications are to safe airport operations. Air Canada Flight 8646 slammed into a firetruck while landing at LaGuardia Airport, killing both pilots in the cockpit. Initial reports blame the controller for the fatal collision. A United Airlines flight had declared an emergency after an aborted takeoff. A firetruck, that responded to the emergency, either missed or ignored orders from ATC to stop and crossed the runway in front of the Air Canada jet.
The pilots' juvenile behavior looks even worse when considering it happened around Reagan National Airport, the same airspace where a U.S. Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet in January 2025. The crash over the Potomac River killed 67 people, everyone on board both aircraft. We all need a bit of levity at work, but the guard frequency below 10,000 feet isn't the time or place.