Jan 18, 2008 2:01 pm US/Eastern
Another Near Collision Rattles Newark Liberty
Continental Flights Came Within 600 Feet On Jan. 16
NEWARK (CBS) ―
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This recreation shows how two Continental Airlines planes came within 600 feet of colliding on Jan. 16 at Newark Liberty Airport.
CBS
There was another near mid-air collision at Newark Liberty Airport Wednesday, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to call an emergency meeting on the matter.
For the second time in two months two planes nearly hit each other in the sky. On Friday morning officials tried to determine what is happening and the FAA said it will take measures to ensure against these incidents happening again.
For hundreds of passengers on board Continental Flight 536 from Phoenix and Continental Express Flight 26-14 from Halifax, it was a close call and a frightening Wednesday afternoon. As the planes came in for landings, the space between them became very narrow -- to the point where there was only 600 feet between the two.
"When you have two massive planes, each with hundreds of people and tons of jet fuel and flying at hundreds of miles an hour and coming within 600 feet of each other, that's a big deal," Sen. Charles Schumer said.
Newark passengers shared Schumer's sentiment.
"It's a little bit scary but you gotta go with it and believe you are going to get where you have to get on time and safe," said passenger Darlene Richards.
Investigators blame an air traffic controller at TRACON -- Terminal Radar Approach on Long Island -- who was supposed to give the Continental Express crew the tower frequency for Newark, but instead guided the crew to the wrong frequency, the one for Teterboro Airport 13 miles away.
Sources tell CBS 2 HD some procedures are at TRACON are now suspended. The union is disputing the fact the controller made an error.
"I don't really travel a whole lot so I don't think about it too much," passenger Jody Rice rice. "But seeing the stuff on TV scares me a little."
In December, two planes came within 300 feet of each other, causing one to make a hasty emergency adjustment in mid-air and fly over the other. Schumer says the FAA needs to install a new state-of-the-art warning system at New York area airports.
"They refuse to spend a few dollars to get up-to-date equipment in the hands of traffic controllers and airports here in New York," Sen. Schumer said.
The FAA was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on this so called "procedural error" later Friday.
CBS 2 HD's Dave Carlin contributed to this report.
Please stay with CBS 2 HD and wcbstv.com for more on this developing story.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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