A Boeing 737 operated by Alaska Airlines and a FedEx Boeing 777 freighter narrowly avoided a collision while attempting to land on intersecting runways at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey last Tuesday.
Incident Details
The event occurred at approximately 8:17 p.m. on Tuesday. The Alaska Airlines flight, arriving from Portland, Oregon, was on its final approach, while the FedEx aircraft was arriving from Memphis, Tennessee.
According to FlightRadar24 data and Air Traffic Control (ATC) audio:
- The tower controller ordered the Alaska Airlines aircraft to perform a “go-around” just seconds before it was set to touch down.
- At the time the instruction was issued, the passenger jet was at an altitude of only 150 feet (approximately 45 meters).
- Meanwhile, the FedEx aircraft continued its landing roll.
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Proximity Analysis and Technical Factors
Preliminary data indicates that the separation between the two aircraft was extremely tight. It is estimated that the Alaska Airlines jet passed over the FedEx freighter with a clearance of only 300 to 325 feet.
Michael McCormick, former Vice President of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), noted that the issue stemmed from the inherent complexity of operating with intersecting runways. McCormick explained that coordinating exact timing in these configurations is a critical challenge for controllers and that, in this instance, the go-around instruction was issued too late.
Airport Safety Context
This incident follows a recent runway incursion two weeks ago, where the wing of a Singapore Airlines aircraft clipped the tail of a parked Spirit Airlines plane. However, in that case, the aircraft were in a non-movement area of the airport not controlled by the tower.
Currently, the aviation system is facing additional external pressures:
- Staffing Shortages: The incident occurs amidst a partial government shutdown, which has resulted in personnel shortages within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
- Official Investigation: Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched formal investigations to determine the cause of the separation failure.
Airline Statements
Both companies released official statements this Thursday:
- FedEx: Confirmed that Flight 721 landed safely following ATC instructions and referred all further inquiries to the FAA.
- Alaska Airlines: Reported that Flight 294 was initially cleared to land but executed the go-around following the tower’s instruction, emphasizing that its pilots are highly trained for these routine safety maneuvers.
The FAA has categorized the go-around as a “routine safety procedure” while investigations continue to mitigate future operational risks at Newark.
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