• Font Size    
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

FAA: 5 Major Near-Misses Over NYC In May

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +    Comments
Jun 11, 2007 7:39 pm US/Eastern

FAA: 5 Major Near-Misses Over NYC In May

Traveling? Check Delays At All N.Y. Airports Here.

Digg This Story!

Featured Slideshow: N.J. - The Real 'Sopranoland'
by John Slattery
OSSINING (CBS) ― It might be getting dicier to fly in the skies over New York City. The FAA says the number of in-air incidents has been significantly higher than usual.

The FAA tells CBS 2 HD that it is investigating five near misses in the month of May involving planes near John F. Kennedy, Newark Liberty, and Stewart Airport in Newburgh.

Digg This Story!

A near miss is defined as two planes in flight that come within 500 feet of one another. Planes are supposed to be kept at least 1,000 feet apart vertically and three miles horizontally.

The FAA is investigating five separate reports of danger in the skies.

--On May 1 near Stewart, a Jet Blue plane came within 30 feet of another plane.

--On May 5 near Newark Liberty, a Continental Airlines plane came within 300 feet of a glider.

--On May 9, near Newark, a Jet Blue came within 500 feet of another aircraft.

--On May 17 near JFK, an American Eagle commuter jet came within 200 feet of a helicopter.

--On May 21, near Newark, a Continental jet came within 200 feet of another aircraft.

The FAA information is based on pilot reports, typically after a cockpit device, called a Traffic Collision Avoidance System, sounds an alarm.

Nationally, air traffic controllers say they lost 1,000 controllers within the last two years, leaving fatigue for those remaining on the job.

This is a concern because of fatigue. We have less people working, which means we are going to have more people working positions longer and traffic longer," said Dan Horwitz of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

As for the near misses, Jet Blue disputes the claims about its two planes. Jet Blue told the FAA that the planes avoidance systems did sound, but their own investigations showed that the planes were actually farther apart than the warning systems indicated. Jet Blue has asked the FAA to investigate.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Add Comment

here. here. Need a log in? Register here
  •  * Will not be displayed with comment
  •  * e.g. (http://www.mywebsite.com)
  •  
  • Click here to refresh with new letters

Show Comments (0)

Close Window Login


Close Window Flag Comment


loading...
You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Top Stories

Top News Stories

© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.