2 months ago
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The National Transportation Safety Board said connected Thursday (March 20, 2026) it was investigating a adjacent call successful which an Alaska Airlines formation overflew a FedEx airplane portion some jets were attempting to onshore connected crossing runways astatine Newark Liberty International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration said an aerial postulation controller instructed Alaska Airlines Flight 294, a Boeing 737, to execute a go-around due to the fact that FedEx Flight 721, a Boeing 777, was cleared for the final approach to an intersecting runway astatine the New Jersey airdrome adjacent New York City. The FAA said it was investigating the incident.
The FAA investigates astir airspace incidents, while the NTSB lone investigates significant adjacent calls.
Alaska said it had been cleared to onshore astatine Newark erstwhile aerial postulation power issued a go-around, "which our pilots are highly trained for." FedEx said its unit was pursuing instructions from aerial postulation power and landed safely without incidental astatine Newark.
A bid of superior close-call incidents successful 2023 prompted Congress to clasp hearings that raised questions astir FAA aerial postulation power operations. That prompted the FAA to instrumentality steps to amended its aerial postulation power operations, which stay short-staffed.
A January 2025 mid-air collision betwixt an American Airlines determination pitchy and an Army chopper adjacent Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 radical and again raised questions astir the FAA's information performance, prompting the NTSB to issue dozens of recommendations.
Earlier this week, the FAA said it was barring chopper postulation near large airports operating connected ocular separation and requiring aerial postulation controllers to usage radar to keep the craft apart.
