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Epoch Times
20-05-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Near Miss at LaGuardia Spotlights Ongoing Challenges for Runway Safety and Air Traffic Control
Federal authorities are investigating a recent incident at New York's LaGuardia Airport, in which a Republic Airways jet was forced to abort its takeoff to avoid a United Airlines plane that was still crossing the runway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The close call occurred on May 6. Neither United Airlines, Republic Airways, nor the airport immediately responded to a request for comment made by NTD News, sister media of The Epoch Times, regarding the incident. LaGuardia is equipped with the FAA's most advanced surface radar system, known as ASDE-X, which is designed to help prevent runway incursions by allowing controllers to track planes and vehicles on the ground. However, the May 6 incident demonstrates that even the best available technology is not foolproof. Across the United States, only 35 airports have this advanced system, while controllers at the remaining 490 towered airports rely on less sophisticated tools, such as binoculars, due to the high cost of the technology. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed interest in expanding advanced safety systems to more airports if Congress approves his multi-billion-dollar plan to modernize the air traffic control system. Ongoing Concerns About Runway Incursions The number of close calls at U.S. airports has been a persistent concern for the FAA, NTSB, and aviation safety experts. According to the FAA, the rate of runway incursions per million takeoffs and landings has stayed around 30 for the past decade, peaking at 35 in 2017 and 2018. Related Stories 5/19/2025 5/17/2025 Most years see fewer than 20 of the most serious incidents—those where a collision was narrowly avoided or there was significant potential for a crash. The number of such serious events reached 22 in 2023 and dropped to seven last year, the FAA reported. Efforts are underway to develop systems that would alert pilots directly about runway traffic, rather than relying solely on controllers to relay warnings. The FAA has not yet certified such a system, though Honeywell International has been working on one for several years. The LaGuardia incident comes amid a series of equipment failures at air traffic control centers nationwide. According to the FAA, controllers in Denver recently lost contact with planes for about 90 seconds because of a communications blackout, forcing them to switch to emergency backup frequencies. Radar systems remained operational, and no accidents occurred. Similar outages have affected facilities responsible for Newark Liberty International Airport, prompting discussions between the FAA and airlines about reducing flights due to staffing shortages and equipment concerns. United Airlines, Newark's largest carrier, announced it would cancel 35 flights per day after a week of delays and diversions caused by technology failures. Calls for Modernization Transportation Secretary Duffy has called the recent outages 'unacceptable' and preventable with timely upgrades. He has announced a multi-billion-dollar plan to modernize air traffic control infrastructure, emphasizing the need for more reliable equipment and updated automation systems. The FAA has acknowledged that frequent outages are stressful for controllers and is working to improve both staffing and technology. Discussions between the FAA and airlines regarding flight reductions at Newark are ongoing. The LaGuardia near miss is a reminder of the importance of runway safety systems. The deadliest accident in aviation history, which occurred in 1977 on the Spanish island of Tenerife, involved two planes colliding on a runway in thick fog, resulting in 583 deaths. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Economic Times
20-05-2025
- Economic Times
Two planes almost collided at New York's LaGuardia Airport. Here's what happened.
Federal investigators are probing a near-collision at LaGuardia Airport, where a Republic Airways jet aborted takeoff due to a United Airlines plane crossing the runway. Despite LaGuardia's advanced ground radar system, the incident highlights the limitations of current technology. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Federal investigators are looking into a close call at New York's LaGuardia Airport earlier this month, where two planes nearly collided on a runway despite the airport being equipped with an advanced ground radar system designed to prevent such Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed on Monday that they are investigating the May 6 incident, in which a Republic Airways jet was forced to abort takeoff because a United Airlines plane was still taxiing across the obtained by ABC News from captured a controller telling the Republic pilot: 'Sorry, I thought United had cleared well before that.'At the time, one controller had cleared the Republic jet for takeoff while another, on a different radio frequency, was redirecting the United plane after it missed its designated taxiway Airlines did not immediately respond to inquiries, while Republic Airways and airport officials deferred questions to the incident adds to growing concerns over runway safety . The number of near collisions has remained steady over the past decade, with roughly 30 incursions per million takeoffs and landings. While most are minor, 2023 saw 22 serious runway incursions—those with high collision risk—though that number dropped to seven last year, according to FAA is among just 35 U.S. airports equipped with the FAA's top-tier surface surveillance system, ASDE-X, which tracks aircraft and vehicles on the ground. The other 490 control-towered airports rely on visual tracking methods, such as binoculars, due to the high cost of the Secretary Sean Duffy has proposed expanding ASDE-X and similar systems nationwide as part of a broader modernization plan, but it requires Congressional the recent LaGuardia incident shows the limitations of even the most advanced systems. The FAA plans to install an additional warning system at the airport and is exploring technologies that would alert pilots directly of runway hazards, rather than relying solely on air traffic controllers. A system under development by Honeywell has yet to receive FAA ongoing focus on runway safety stems in part from historical tragedies, including the deadliest aviation accident on record—a 1977 runway collision in Tenerife, Spain, that killed 583 people.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
Two planes almost collided at New York's LaGuardia Airport. Here's what happened.
Federal investigators are looking into a close call at New York's LaGuardia Airport earlier this month, where two planes nearly collided on a runway despite the airport being equipped with an advanced ground radar system designed to prevent such incidents. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed on Monday that they are investigating the May 6 incident, in which a Republic Airways jet was forced to abort takeoff because a United Airlines plane was still taxiing across the runway. Audio obtained by ABC News from captured a controller telling the Republic pilot: 'Sorry, I thought United had cleared well before that.' At the time, one controller had cleared the Republic jet for takeoff while another, on a different radio frequency, was redirecting the United plane after it missed its designated taxiway exit. United Airlines did not immediately respond to inquiries, while Republic Airways and airport officials deferred questions to the FAA. Live Events The incident adds to growing concerns over runway safety . The number of near collisions has remained steady over the past decade, with roughly 30 incursions per million takeoffs and landings. While most are minor, 2023 saw 22 serious runway incursions—those with high collision risk—though that number dropped to seven last year, according to FAA data. LaGuardia is among just 35 U.S. airports equipped with the FAA's top-tier surface surveillance system, ASDE-X, which tracks aircraft and vehicles on the ground. The other 490 control-towered airports rely on visual tracking methods, such as binoculars, due to the high cost of the technology. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has proposed expanding ASDE-X and similar systems nationwide as part of a broader modernization plan, but it requires Congressional approval. Still, the recent LaGuardia incident shows the limitations of even the most advanced systems. The FAA plans to install an additional warning system at the airport and is exploring technologies that would alert pilots directly of runway hazards, rather than relying solely on air traffic controllers. A system under development by Honeywell has yet to receive FAA certification. The ongoing focus on runway safety stems in part from historical tragedies, including the deadliest aviation accident on record—a 1977 runway collision in Tenerife, Spain, that killed 583 people.
