Federal aviation authorities announced Tuesday they are examining a dangerous near-collision involving two commercial aircraft at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Republic Airways Flight 4464 had to execute an emergency go-around maneuver Monday after deviating from its proper approach route and coming dangerously close to Jazz Aviation Flight 554, which had authorization to land on an adjacent runway.
“The crew of Republic Airways Flight 4464 performed a go-around at John F. Kennedy International Airport after missing the intended approach path and flying too close to Jazz Aviation Flight 554, which was cleared to land on a parallel runway. Both flight crews responded to onboard alerts,” the FAA stated regarding Monday’s incident.
“The FAA is investigating the event,” the agency confirmed.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed the aircraft came within a mere 350 feet of each other vertically and just 0.62 miles apart horizontally at their nearest point.
According to reports from an ABC News affiliate, both aircraft successfully completed go-around procedures and touched down safely afterward. Air traffic control recordings captured the sound of anti-collision warning systems activating in both the control tower and aircraft cockpits.
Traffic controllers instructed pilots aboard both jets to execute emergency maneuvers, leading to the cancellation of the initial landing attempt before both planes ultimately landed without further incident.
The flight crews informed controllers they were responding to RA alarms, known as “resolution advisories,” which represent the most critical type of collision-avoidance warning available to pilots.
This incident follows last month’s fatal accident at LaGuardia Airport in New York, where an Air Canada Express aircraft collided with a fire truck, resulting in the deaths of both pilots.
