FAA probes JFK near miss after another recent close call fuels scrutiny of air traffic safety
Two passenger jets came too close to each other while approaching John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Monday, prompting onboard collision warnings and an investigation by federal authorities.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the crew of Republic Airways Flight 4464 performed a go-around after missing its intended approach path and flying too close to Air Canada Express Flight 8554, which had been cleared to land on a parallel runway.
Both flight crews responded to onboard alerts during the incident, which happened around 2:35 p.m., according to the FAA.
The agency said the information is preliminary, and the incident remains under investigation.
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Republic Airways said the flight, operating as American Airlines Flight 4464, aborted its initial landing attempt and performed a go-around during its approach into JFK.
“During their approach into JFK, the crew…received a resolution advisory,” the airline said. “They complied with the advisory and, consistent with our training and procedures, executed a go-around to land without further incident.”
Air Canada said its flight from Toronto received a traffic warning and direction from air traffic control during its approach into JFK.
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“The crew took immediate action,” the airline said. “Safety is our top priority and our crews are well-trained to deal with many operational situations such as this.”
The airline added that the flight landed safely.
A go-around is a standard safety maneuver in which pilots abort a landing attempt and climb back into the air to reposition for another approach.
The incident is the latest in a string of close calls involving commercial aircraft that have drawn scrutiny from federal regulators and lawmakers.
Over the weekend, the FAA said it was investigating a near miss involving Southwest Airlines flights after air traffic control directed two jets onto a potential collision course.
According to the FAA, the incident happened at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday as Southwest Flight 507 was approaching the airport and initiated a go-around.
The pilot then “received air traffic control instructions that put the flight in the path of another aircraft” that was departing from a parallel runway. The departing aircraft was identified as Southwest Flight 1152.
Both flight crews responded to onboard traffic alerts, the FAA said, helping the planes avoid a potential midair conflict.
No injuries were reported in either incident.
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