Video footage which captured what appeared to be a near miss between two commercial aircraft near Syracuse Hancock International Airport will now be investigated by the Federal aviation administration.
Dash cam footage from a North Syracuse Police Department unit captured the moment that the two jet aircraft appeared to pass very close to one another.
The video footage shows one aircraft on descent whilst converging aircraft is on climb, with their flight paths apparently converging.
From the ground perspective, the two aircraft appear as though they are passing very close to one another.
The incident which occurred on Monday 8 July has sparked a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation into a potential air traffic control error at Syracuse Hancock International Airport.
Syracuse Incident
The incident involved a departing Delta Air Lines flight 5421, operated by Endeavor Air and an arriving PSA Airlines/American Eagle flight 5511.
Early reports indicate that air traffic control may have inadvertently cleared the Delta flight for takeoff from RWY 28, whilst the inbound flight was approaching to land.
Transcripts of communications between the aircraft and ATC show that the sequencing error appears to have been first picked up by the crew of the American Eagle flight.
Upon hearing the takeoff clearance issued to the departing aircraft, the American pilot asked “Wait, who’s cleared to take off on 28?”
Following his question, the departing American Eagle flight then received instructions from ATC to “take to the sky” and initiate a go-around maneuver.
In carrying out the go around instruction, the American flight was turning away at the time of the recorded incident and thus increasing the separation between the two aircraft.
Reported 725 Foot Separation
The FAA has confirmed they are investigating the incident. While the official report is not yet available, early information suggests the aircraft came within 725 feet of each other at their closest point.
This distance is significantly lower than the minimum safe separation standards mandated by the FAA.
An early FAA statement reads: “An air traffic controller instructed PSA Airlines 5511 to go around at Syracuse Hancock International Airport to keep it separated from an aircraft that was departing on the same runway.”
There were no injuries during the incident and both aircraft landed uneventfully.
The FAA’s investigation will focus on determining the cause of the near miss incident at Syracuse and implementing preventative measures to ensure similar situations are avoided in the future.
This may involve reviewing air traffic control procedures, enhancing communication protocols, or potentially implementing new technological safeguards.
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