Two aircraft came within 500 feet of crashing into each other at John F. Kennedy Airport on Monday, May 4.
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The Delta airliner, on its approach to JFK, came within 500 feet of a small propeller plane. It's one of several near-collisions that have taken place over the last several weeks.
What Happened Between the Two Planes?
The Delta airliner was coming into Queens, New York, from Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport in upstate New York.
According to the New York Post, around 5:15 p.m. local time, the Delta pilot reported the event. The airliner, operated by subsidiary Endeavor Air, was descending at 2,100 feet, while the smaller Cirrus aircraft was just above it at 2,575 feet.
Air Traffic Control audio recordings reveal the controller informed the Delta pilot about the nearby Cirrus. The controller was not in contact with the smaller plane during the near-collision.
"Endeavor Air Flight 5289 was on final approach to Runway 22L at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) when a Cirrus SR22 crossed over to land on Runway 22R," a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration read. "Air traffic control provided traffic advisories to both pilots, and each reported the other in sight. The required separation was maintained."
Another Near-Miss Occurred Several Weeks Ago
This latest incident follows another chilling near-miss where passenger planes came within 400 feet of each other while approaching JFK Airport just two weeks earlier.
It also comes weeks after an incident in Louisville, Kentucky. Just after midnight on April 14, a Boeing 767 almost collided with a smaller SKQ-25 plane taxiing on the runway at Muhammad Ali International Airport.
The UPS jet was approaching the runway from Atlanta when the smaller plane was coming in.
An air traffic controller shouted urgently for the plane to stop, then ordered the shipping company's pilot to go around.
A spokesperson for UPS confirmed that the plane carried out the go-around procedure "beautifully." This is when planes abandon their landing and continue on a flight path before circling back to the airport.
The spokesperson couldn't confirm how close the UPS jet was to landing. A FAA representative said the "required separation was maintained."
