Near-Miss: Planes Avoid Collision Near JFK
- Two commercial aircraft took evasive maneuvers to avoid a potential mid-air collision near JFK Airport. - Reports say the planes were about half a mile apart and within roughly 350 feet altitude of each other. - FAA and airline officials are reviewing flight data to determine causes and safety implications (patch.com).
Two passenger jets aborted their landings near John F. Kennedy International Airport on April 20 after one drifted off its approach and triggered collision warnings in both cockpits. (usnews.com) The Federal Aviation Administration said Republic Airways Flight 4464, operating for American Airlines, missed its intended approach path and flew too close to Jazz Aviation Flight 554, which was cleared to land on a parallel runway. Both crews responded to onboard alerts and went around before landing safely. (usnews.com) Flight-tracking data cited by Reuters put the closest spacing at about 350 feet vertically and 0.62 miles horizontally. The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. near JFK’s parallel runways 31L and 31R. (usnews.com); (simpleflying.com) A go-around is an aborted landing in which pilots add power, climb away, and set up for another approach. A resolution advisory, or RA, is the Traffic Collision Avoidance System’s highest-level warning, telling pilots to climb or descend to avoid another aircraft. (usnews.com); (simpleflying.com) The flights were regional Embraer E175 jets, according to multiple aviation reports. Republic’s flight was arriving from Indianapolis, and Jazz’s Air Canada Express flight was arriving from Toronto Pearson. (aviation24.be); (upi.com) Audio reviewed by ABC7 captured controllers warning both aircraft as anti-collision alarms sounded. ABC7 reported the American-operated jet veered into the Air Canada plane’s path on final approach. (abc7ny.com) Jazz Aviation said its pilots followed the advisory and executed a go-around “consistent with our training and procedures” before landing without further incident. The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating what caused the loss of separation. (upi.com); (usnews.com) The close call landed as federal officials were already under pressure over air-traffic safety after other recent incidents, including a near miss involving two Southwest flights near Nashville and a fatal March crash at LaGuardia involving an Air Canada Express jet and a fire truck. The next steps are the same as in most cases like this: investigators will review radar tracks, cockpit alerts, controller instructions, and crew actions to determine why the aircraft converged. (upi.com); (yahoo.com)
