NTSB: Distracted Controllers Caused Near-Crash at San Diego Airport

A private jet came within 100 feet of colliding with a Southwest Airlines plane on a San Diego runway in August 2023 after air traffic controllers in the tower became distracted, according to a final report issued Tuesday Sep. 30 by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Investigators found that both the controller managing the planes and the tower supervisor made poor decisions that diverted their attention from the critical task of monitoring landings. The NTSB concluded that tragedy was narrowly avoided thanks to the airport’s automated ground surveillance system, which detected the imminent conflict and alerted controllers. The private jet then executed a go-around and circled before landing safely.

The controller responsible for sequencing the arriving aircraft admitted to poor judgment, telling investigators that they became preoccupied with a call to the regional FAA radar facility to correct the altitude of an unrelated plane—just as the business jet was approaching to land.

The supervisor, meanwhile, was distracted by a malfunctioning printer used by controllers to receive information. Instead of switching to a backup printer, the supervisor attempted to troubleshoot the issue during active landing operations, further reducing oversight of the runway environment.

The NTSB emphasized that San Diego International Airport is one of 35 major U.S. airports equipped with the FAA’s advanced surface radar system, designed to track planes and ground vehicles in real time. That technology provided the vital safety net that prevented a catastrophic runway collision.

This incident comes amid growing concerns about aviation safety following several high-profile crashes and near-misses worldwide, including the deadliest U.S. plane crash in decades earlier this year and the fatal June 2024 Air India disaster. The San Diego case highlights both the vulnerabilities of human error in busy control towers and the importance of automated backup systems in safeguarding passengers and crews.


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