Federal investigators say an air visitors controller cleared one aircraft to land and every other to take off from the same runway in Florida remaining month
Federal investigators say an air visitors controller cleared a aircraft to take off from Sarasota, Florida, whilst an American Airlines jet was once making its ultimate means to the same runway remaining month, main the American pilots to abandon their touchdown.
The National Transportation Safety Board stated Thursday that the American and Air Canada Rouge planes were separated via six-tenths of a mile — about 3,000 toes (900 meters) — at their closest level. That is far farther aside than planes in a number of contemporary close calls.
In its initial file, the security board didn’t state a reason for the Feb. 16 incident, however it stated it shaped a bunch to examine air visitors controller movements. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the Federal Aviation Administration, which hires and trains controllers, are participating in the investigation, the NTSB stated.
The early findings got here an afternoon after officers from the NTSB, the FAA, airways and airline unions met out of doors Washington, D.C., for a “protection summit.”
According to an FAA readout of summit sessions that were closed to the public and press, a group that discussed air traffic recommended closer examination of data to find the causes and solutions for planes being on or near the same runway at the same time. The FAA said it asked industry to find technology to help air traffic controllers track equipment on the ground.
The NTSB is investigating six recent events involving conflicting runway use. The board did not start any similar investigations in 2022 and only two in 2021, according to a spokesman.
Overall runway incursions, as they are called, are lower in the last six months than the same period last year, according to FAA figures, but those include the vast majority of incidents that are deemed low- or no-risk.
In Sarasota, a controller cleared the American Airlines flight to land on runway 14 when the plane was about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the airport. When it was about 3 miles (5 kilometers) out, the controller cleared the Air Canada Rouge plane to take off from the same runway.
The American team elected to cancel their touchdown, flip to the correct and go back to land. No accidents were reported.
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