FAA air traffic control staffing under scrutiny after deadly LaGuardia runway crash
In a tragic incident at LaGuardia Airport, an Air Canada Express jet, upon landing on Runway 4, collided with a Port Authority fire truck just before midnight. This devastating accident resulted in the deaths of two pilots and left many passengers injured. Audio from air traffic control reveals a controller admitting to a mistake, which has led to an urgent investigation by the NTSB focused on human errors, operational procedures, and runway safety protocols.
On Monday, two planes narrowly avoided a mid-air collision near John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Flight-tracking data suggests that the aircraft came within approximately 500 feet of each other vertically.
This near-miss occurred just a day after another aircraft clipped a light pole and hit a bakery truck while landing in New Jersey, adding to a concerning series of recent aviation incidents.
Audio recordings from JFK’s air traffic control reveal that a controller warned the pilot of a Delta flight, operated by its subsidiary Endeavor Air, about a smaller plane flying just under 500 feet above them, according to reports by ABC7.
Flight data from Flightradar24, as reported by ABC7, indicates that the two planes were separated by about 475 feet vertically as their paths intersected. The Endeavor Air flight was at an altitude of around 2,100 feet, whereas the Cirrus aircraft was flying at approximately 2,575 feet.
A Delta Connection flight, managed by Endeavor Air, and a small aircraft came alarmingly close, within about 500 feet of each other, while approaching John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to flight-tracking data highlighted by local news reports.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Endeavor Air Flight 5289 was on final approach to Runway 22L around 5:15 p.m. Monday when a Cirrus SR22 crossed overhead while preparing to land on Runway 22R.
“Air traffic control provided traffic advisories to both pilots, and each reported the other in sight,” the FAA said. “The required separation was maintained.”
The Endeavor pilot told controllers the flight crew received a traffic advisory, followed by a resolution advisory from the aircraft’s collision avoidance system, ABC7 reported.
A commercial airplane approaches John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Audio captured the exchange between controllers and the flight crew.
“Endeavor 5289 yeah I’m not talking to him. He’s 500 feet above you now left to right half a mile in front of you,” a controller said, according to the report.
“And tower Endeavor 5289 he just flew about 500 feet right over so looks like he’s taking a left turn now,” the pilot responded.
The international terminal, train, and control tower are visible at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. (Skyhobo/Getty Images)
Monday’s incident is the latest in a series of close calls that have drawn increased scrutiny from federal regulators and lawmakers.
On Sunday, a United Airlines flight traveling from Venice, Italy, to Newark Liberty International Airport struck a light pole and damaged a bakery truck during its descent around 2 p.m. The 221 passengers and 10 crew members aboard were not injured, and the plane landed safely.
JFK also experienced a close call last month when two passenger jets came too close on approach, triggering onboard collision warnings and a federal investigation.
In that incident, the FAA said Republic Airways Flight 4464 performed a go-around after missing its approach path and flying too close to Air Canada Express Flight 8554, which had been cleared to land on a parallel runway.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the FAA, Delta and Cirrus for comment.
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