Skip to main content
Tags: Airplanes | near | miss | LaGuardia | JFK | airport

FAA Investigating Jets' Close Call Over NYC

Friday, 21 June 2013 04:03 PM EDT

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why two airplanes came too close to each other over New York City last week.

A Delta Air Lines Boeing 747 arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport came close to a Shuttle America Embraer E170 departing from LaGuardia Airport at around 2:40 p.m. on June 13, the FAA said in a statement Friday.

The planes were about a half-mile apart horizontally and 200 feet vertically, the FAA said. The required separation is three miles horizontally, or 1,000 feet vertically.

The FAA said the aircraft were "turning away from each other at the point where they lost the required separation." Both aircraft landed safely.

Delta declined to give details, including the number of passengers on board, pending the FAA investigation. The Shuttle America jet was operating as a Delta Connection flight and is equipped for 69 people. The Delta 747 can hold 376 passengers.

Jason Rabinowitz, editor of the aviation news website NYC Aviation, reviewed air-traffic control audio and radar tracking data and concluded the pilots and controllers acted professionally in an unusual set of circumstances brought on by strong winds.

"The traffic controllers did a very good job," he told The Associated Press, noting that traffic is extremely heavy at the two airports. "It was handled very well. ... They did take immediate action to prevent anything from happening in very unusual circumstances."

The close call happened because the Delta jet and an American Airways flight preparing to land on parallel runways broke off their approaches to JFK almost simultaneously, he said.

The American flight was instructed by the control tower to make a right turn and attempt another landing. When the Delta pilot seconds later said he needed to circle, the tower told him to make a left, Rabinowitz said.

That left turn put the Delta jet closer to departing traffic from LaGuardia. The Delta pilot then turned hard right, but 747s aren't "the most nimble aircraft in the sky," Rabinowitz wrote, and that allowed the Delta and Shuttle America airplanes to wind up too close to each other.

Rabinowitz said there was a moment the two aircraft were at nearly the same altitude and headed for each other, but the controllers and both pilots were aware of the conflicting traffic and both jets were turning away from each other.

The Delta flight originated in Narita, Japan; the Shuttle America was heading for Jacksonville, Fla.

Rabinowitz said he doubted passengers were aware of the situation.

 

© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


US
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why two airplanes came too close to each other over New York City last week. A Delta Air Lines Boeing 747 arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport came close to a Shuttle America Embraer E170 departing from...
Airplanes,near,miss,LaGuardia,JFK,airport
413
2013-03-21
Friday, 21 June 2013 04:03 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
TOP

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved