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Runway Near Miss: Airliner Overflies Cargo Jet
20 Mar
Summary
- An Alaska Airlines jet had to circle around due to a FedEx plane.
- The incident occurred on crossing runways at Newark Liberty International Airport.
- Federal aviation officials are investigating the close call.
Federal aviation officials are investigating a concerning incident at Newark Liberty International Airport that occurred on Tuesday night. An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737, Flight 294 arriving from Portland, Oregon, was instructed by air traffic control to execute a go-around. This action was taken to avoid a potential conflict with a FedEx Boeing 777, Flight 721 from Memphis, Tennessee.
The FedEx aircraft was cleared for a final approach to a runway that intersected with the one the Alaska Airlines flight was using for landing. The FAA confirmed that air traffic control directed the Alaska Airlines pilots to discontinue their landing approach and circle for a new approach. Both Alaska Airlines and FedEx confirmed their flight crews adhered to air traffic control instructions. The FedEx flight landed without incident, and investigations by the NTSB and FAA are ongoing into the close call.
