A chilling near-miss unfolded Tuesday night at Newark Liberty International Airport, sending investigators scrambling to understand how a potential disaster was narrowly averted. An Alaska Airlines jet and a FedEx cargo plane found themselves on a collision course, overflying each other while attempting to land on intersecting runways.
The sequence of events began around 8:15 p.m. local time when air traffic control instructed the Alaska Airlines flight to abort its landing. This critical command came after the FedEx aircraft had already been cleared for its final approach to a runway that crossed the path of the arriving jet.
Pilots on the Alaska Airlines flight, expertly trained for such emergencies, immediately initiated a “go-around” – a maneuver to climb and circle for another landing attempt. Simultaneously, the FedEx crew continued their descent, landing safely without incident, adhering to the instructions from air traffic control.
The incident has ignited a full investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Investigators are meticulously reviewing communication logs, radar data, and pilot accounts to determine the precise factors that led to this dangerous situation.
The near-miss resonates with a haunting familiarity, recalling the tragic mid-air collision a year prior at Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport. That event, involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane, resulted in a devastating loss of life – 64 people on the airliner and three on the helicopter.
Newark Liberty, a major transportation hub serving tens of millions of passengers each year, has been grappling with significant challenges. A persistent shortage of air traffic controllers has placed immense strain on operations, contributing to widespread delays and raising concerns about safety margins.
While both aircraft landed safely, the incident underscores the critical importance of vigilant air traffic control and the unwavering skill of pilots. The investigation will undoubtedly focus on whether controller workload, staffing levels, or procedural errors played a role in this alarming close call.
The FAA and NTSB are committed to a thorough examination of the circumstances, aiming to identify any systemic issues and implement measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The skies above Newark, and across the nation, depend on it.
