Federal Officials Investigate Close Call Between Planes at LaGuardia Airport

Earlier this month, a Republic Airways jet was forced to abruptly stop its takeoff at New York’s LaGuardia Airport due to a United Airlines plane still taxiing across the runway. This incident has prompted investigations by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Advanced Surface Radar System at LaGuardia Airport

Despite the airport being equipped with an advanced surface radar system designed to prevent such close calls, the incident still occurred. In audio obtained from the tower, air traffic control can be heard apologizing to the pilot of the Republic Airways jet, stating that they believed the United plane had already cleared the runway.

Ground Controller and Missed Instructions

At the time of the incident, the controller directing the Republic Airways jet to takeoff was on a different frequency than the ground controller who was directing the United plane to a new taxiway. The United plane had missed its initial instruction to exit the runway and was being directed to a new one.

Investigations and Safety Concerns

Both the FAA and NTSB are now investigating the incident, which raises serious concerns about safety. This is not the first close call at the airport, as there have been a number of high-profile near misses in recent years. This trend has sparked concerns for aviation safety experts and prompted investigations into similar incidents.

Advanced Technology and Expanding to More Airports

LaGuardia Airport is only one of 35 airports in the country equipped with the FAA’s best technology to prevent runway incursions. The ASDS-X system uses various technologies to track planes and vehicles on the ground. However, this technology is expensive, and only a small number of airports have this advanced system. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy hopes to expand these systems to more airports as part of a multi-billion-dollar plan to modernize the nation’s air traffic control system.

Efforts to Reduce Close Calls

Despite the advanced technology, close calls continue to happen. The FAA is taking steps to reduce the number of runway incursions, including installing an additional warning system at LaGuardia. However, the rate of incursions has remained consistent over the past decade, with approximately 30 incidents per 1 million takeoffs and landings. The FAA also plans to introduce a system that will directly warn pilots about traffic on the runway, but this has not yet been certified.

History of Runway Incidents

The worst accident in aviation history occurred in 1977 when a KLM 747 collided with a Pan Am 747 on the runway at Tenerife, a Spanish island. This accident resulted in the death of 583 people. The incident at LaGuardia serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining safety measures and implementing advanced technology to prevent similar incidents from occurring.