Last year, a similar FedEx Boeing 767 cargo plane nearly collided with a Southwest Airlines jet at Austin International Airport in Texas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Safety investigators said air traffic controller errors were to blame and that critical safety technology may have prevented the incident.
Wilfred Lee/AP
hide title
Switch title
Wilfred Lee/AP
WASHINGTON — An air traffic controller error led to a near collision between two jets on a foggy runway in Austin, Texas, last year, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.
Investigators are also calling for critical safety techniques and additional training they say could have prevented the incident as federal regulators grapple with a growing number of near misses at runways across the country, including last week at Ronaldo A close call occurred at Reagan Washington National Airport.
On the morning of February 4, 2023, dense fog and low visibility occurred at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and air traffic controllers allowed two aircraft to use the runway at the same time. A FedEx cargo plane was cleared to land, and a Southwest Airlines jet carrying 128 passengers and crew was cleared to take off.
Investigators said the FedEx plane aborted its landing at the last moment when the co-pilot saw the Southwest’s left side marker lights and silhouette on the runway and then flew back into the air while the Southwest continued to take off.
Investigators said the two planes were 150 to 170 feet apart at closest approach.
“Without the heroic actions of FedEx workers, this incident could have been catastrophic,” NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy said at the board meeting.
Investigators said an air traffic controller in Austin was unable to see the exact location of the Southwest plane on the taxiway and mistakenly believed the plane was ready for takeoff when he told the pilot it was clear to enter the runway.
“We have two aircraft within 200 feet of each other and this should not be happening,” board member Michael Graham said.
NTSB Animation: Runway Incursions and Overflights, Southwest Airlines 708 FedEx 1432
Youtube
“The system failed in this incident,” Graham said. “Had it not been for the last-minute go-around by FedEx crews, our discussions today might have been different.”
On Thursday, Robert Bradeen Jr., the first officer on the FedEx plane, appeared in the audience and received a round of applause.
The National Transportation Safety Board previously told a Senate committee that the shortage of air traffic controllers is causing fatigue and distraction. But investigators said Thursday that fatigue was not a factor in Austin’s incident.
Investigators did fault the FAA, however, for not requiring the Austin airport to have technology in place to detect the aircraft’s precise location on the ground.
The National Transportation Safety Board said such technology could have prevented the incident. The controller told investigators he couldn’t see the plane from the tower and relied on the sound of its engines to know when it was preparing to take off.
The FAA recently announced that it will begin installing surface inspection systems at some airports, including Austin, by the end of 2025. Technology designed to prevent runway incursions.
But the NTSB says the rollout isn’t happening fast enough. Investigators recommend that all major airports have a system that tracks the movement of aircraft, determines their distance from each other and provides air traffic controllers with visual and audible cues of their surface movements.
In recent years, there have been an increase in near misses on runways across the United States. According to FAA data, 23 of the most serious runway incursions occurred in 2023, compared with 16 in 2022.
Homendy said at least seven such incidents have occurred so far in 2024, and the NTSB is currently investigating more incidents.
“The hard truth is, it only takes one. One missed warning, one incorrect response, or even one missed opportunity to install life-saving technology can lead to tragedy,” Homendy said. “We are moving in the wrong direction.
