Planes ‘come within 100ft of colliding after air traffic controllers distracted’
Automated tracking system prevents plane collision
- A private jet and a Southwest Airlines plane narrowly avoided a collision at San Diego airport in August 2023, coming within 100 feet of each other on the runway.
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued its final findings, attributing the near-miss to distracted air traffic controllers and their supervisor.
- The controller was distracted by attempting to correct the altitude of an unrelated plane, while the supervisor was troubleshooting a printer issue instead of using a backup.
- A crucial automated tracking system for ground movements alerted the controller to the potential conflict, allowing the private jet to execute a go-around and prevent a crash.
- This incident intensifies growing concerns over aviation safety, following a series of recent accidents and near-misses.