A new and frightening New York Times report claims that “almost collisions” involving commercial aircraft occur weekly in America. The Times report draws on a little-known NASA database of comprehensive records from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as safety reports submitted by pilots and air traffic controllers. The documents show that the planes of all major US airlines almost always experience “close passes”, that is, they almost crash into each other.
The Times’ analysis shows that such “close-to-close escapes” occur several times a week, with 46 such incidents reported in the past month alone. In the most recent 12-month period for which data is available, reporters say nearly 300 “near-crash” incidents involving major airlines were reported, some of which avoided disaster with just a last-second maneuver.
Concrete details of some of these events are made clear in the Times’ reports, and these details are probably enough for some readers to decide not to take air travel for the rest of their natural lives. According to the Times, the vast majority of incidents are due to the error of the pilot or air traffic controller, and most of them occur during takeoff or landing in and around airports.
In a recent incident in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, an air traffic controller accidentally allowed a Delta jet to approach the airport for landing, putting it on a collision course with a Spirit airlines flight that had been authorized to land. In another incident at New Orleans International Airport, a Southwest flight nearly collided with a Delta flight that was in the take-off stage.
The Times describes the whole mess as “security breaches and a near-worrying situation” and says dangerous incidents are being reported more and more frequently at US airports. However, it is unclear whether dangerous events are occurring more frequently or whether reporting of incidents has increased. Still, the report suggests that the biggest culprit behind this trend is “chronic” staff shortages in air traffic control towers. This has been a common problem in the commercial aviation world for some time now. Widespread opinion suggests that the outbreak has hit the air travel industry particularly hard, with air traffic control personnel levels declining during this period and never fully recovering. Despite the FAA’s latest efforts to reinvigorate staff, things are looking pretty tough.
Air traffic controllers also seem to be uneasy and are reportedly starting to write letters to the FAA requesting additional manpower and resources. In a letter quoted in the news, it is emphasized that the situation is no longer risky, but completely dangerous, and draws attention to low morale and fatigue.
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