Both flights received corrective instructions to avoid possible collision two months after crash killed 67 at same airport

A passenger flight preparing to take off near Washington DC and an incoming US military jet received instructions to divert and prevent a possible collision on Friday, officials said.

The close call at Ronald Reagan Washington National airport came about two months after a passenger jet and US army helicopter collided near the airport, killing all 67 people onboard both aircraft. The earlier crash – on 29 January – prompted federal investigators to recommend a ban on some helicopter flights in that area.