Terrifying Moments in the Air: Planes Narrowly Avoid Collision
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation following an incident in Syracuse, New York, where two large commercial airliners nearly collided, as captured by a police vehicle’s dashcam. Although experts state the planes were not on a collision course, initial evidence suggests they flew dangerously close to each other for a brief period, with a minimum separation of 725 feet.
Officials reported that the incident occurred around 11:50 AM EDT on Monday. The apparent air traffic control error involved two regional jets, with one given clearance to take off from Syracuse Hancock International Airport and the other given clearance to land on the same runway at the same time.
Audio recordings of Air Traffic Control communication with the pilots reveal that the controller initially cleared American Eagle Flight 5511, operated by PSA Airlines, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines, for landing. Subsequently, the controller granted takeoff clearance to Delta Connection Flight 5421, another CRJ-700 operated by Endeavor Air, a regional subsidiary of Delta.
Pilot Reactions and Control Error
In the audio recording, a pilot on the American flight is heard asking, “Wait, who got clearance to take off from 28?” The controller instructed the American pilot to abort the landing and “go around,” a command the pilot complied with. However, flight radar data indicated that as the American plane climbed to about 1,825 feet, it continued on a path over the runway from which the Delta plane was taking off. There was a moment when the Delta plane, climbing after takeoff, passed underneath the American plane, which was at an altitude of 725 feet.
The American plane then circled and descended slightly, positioning itself approximately 675 feet above and 425 feet away from the path of the Delta plane. During this time, a vehicle from the North Syracuse Police Department recorded the planes with its dashcam. From a distance, it appeared as though a collision was imminent.
Passengers and Crew on Board
Delta confirmed that Flight 5421, en route to New York, had 76 passengers and four crew members, including two pilots and two flight attendants. American Airlines stated that Flight 5511, departing from Washington, D.C., had 75 passengers and four crew members on board. No injuries were reported from the incident.
FAA Investigation and Aircraft Safety
The FAA announced that it is investigating the incident and its potential causes. Delta stated, “Endeavor Air and Delta will work with aviation authorities as we always do, in our shared commitment to safety above all.” American Airlines confirmed the occurrence of the incident but declined to comment further, deferring to the FAA investigation.
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