NTSB Investigates Two Near Misses at Burbank and JFK Airports

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recently issued preliminary reports on two critical airline incidents classified as “close calls” at major US airports. These incidents occurred at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

The first incident under investigation took place over a year ago, in February 2023, at Hollywood Burbank Airport. The reporting of this incident faced unusual delays due to its reclassification as a “Class 3” event, which denotes a more severe risk level. The involved aircraft were a Mesa Airlines Bombardier CRJ900 and a SkyWest Embraer EMB-170. Both aircraft successfully executed maneuvers in response to their traffic collision avoidance systems (TCAS), which issued resolution advisories. At their closest proximity, the aircraft came within 1,700 feet of one another, narrowly avoiding a potential disaster.

The more recent incident occurred at JFK Airport on April 17. It involved a Swiss Air Airbus A330 that was cleared for takeoff on Runway 4L. Concurrently, a ground controller authorized four other airliners to cross the same runway. The pilots of the Swiss Air Airbus, however, spotted the conflicting traffic during their takeoff sequence and made the crucial decision to abort the takeoff. This decision came before their aircraft reached the acceleration and velocity required to trigger the airport’s surveillance detection equipment, known as Model X or ASDE-X. Unlike a similar incident at JFK last year, where the detection system was activated, this situation was resolved solely by the alertness of the crew.

These preliminary reports highlight the ongoing challenges and complexities of air traffic control at busy airports. The NTSB continues to investigate these incidents to improve air travel safety measures and prevent future near misses. These reports serve as a crucial reminder of the importance of vigilant air traffic control and the effective functioning of onboard alert systems in maintaining the safety of air travel.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, avweb.com