CNN
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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a narrowly missed mid-air collision between a United flight and a Delta flight at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Saturday, the agency said.
Delta Flight 1070 had been cleared to land on Sky Harbor’s Runway 8 when a collision warning sounded in the cockpit around 11 a.m., according to CNN affiliate KTVK. The flight, carrying 245 passengers, was arriving from Detroit.
At the same time, a similar alert was triggered on United Flight 1724 from San Francisco, carrying 123 passengers, the affiliate reported.
The FAA noted that both planes landed safely “after experiencing a required loss of separation during their approach,” adding that air traffic control issued corrective instructions to both crews.
CNN has reached out to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines for comment.
The Phoenix incident follows an increase in recent years in “runway incursions” at U.S. airports. Among the most recent close accidents was a near-collision at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in February 2023, where a FedEx Boeing 767 and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 were at their lowest point. closer, 150 feet apart.
A subsequent investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that the two planes nearly collided because an air traffic controller misjudged the heavy fog.
Another near-collision between two planes at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2023 was caused by pilots repeatedly distracted in the cockpit, the NTSB found.
In recent years, the FAA has responded to the spate of incidents by providing additional training to controllers and holding a rare summit to address the spate of close accidents on U.S. airstrips. Among the topics discussed is air traffic controller fatigue.
