According to a shocking report, there have been at least 19 separate cases in which planes almost collided with each other in the first 10 months of the year.
The staggering number of near misses between January and October marks a dramatic increase in narrowly avoided plane crashes, the most since 2016, according to Federal Aviation Administration data seen by the Wall Street Journal.
The total number for the year is not yet known, but it is expected to continue increasing.
Just weeks after the data was compiled, a landing airliner nearly collided with a plane taking off in the stormy skies above Portland International Airport, just 2,000 feet away from each other.
Fortunately, frantic calls from an air traffic controller urged the descending plane to abort its landing just in time, saving the lives of hundreds of passengers.
These close calls are becoming more frequent, and officials theorize that the near misses could be attributed to staffing problems in air traffic control towers.
Just days before the surprising WSJ report, the FAA announced it was establishing an expert panel (led by a former safety board official and sleep expert) to address air traffic controller fatigue after a series of incidents. which almost caused accidents.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified at least 19 serious incursions through October. Wonchalerm Rungswang
The three-member panel will begin work in January and will “examine how the latest science on sleep needs and fatigue considerations could be applied to controllers’ work requirements and schedules.”
The FAA met its annual goal of hiring 1,500 controllers by 2023, but it is still about 3,000 controllers behind staffing goals, leaving most of its workers facing six-day workweeks.
The Empire State faces one of the most severe staffing shortages for air traffic controllers: New York Terminal Radar Approach Control staffing is just 54% of recommended staffing.
A near-miss collision occurs when planes are within 500 feet of each other. Maggin Torres
The Big Apple began the year 2023 with an almost catastrophic collision that was avoided thanks to urgent calls from an air traffic controller.
Panicked passengers screamed in horror as their Delta flight came “a fraction of a second” away from crashing into an American Airlines plane crossing its runway.
Despite moving at 115 mph, Delta slammed on the brakes and stopped just 1,000 feet from the intruding aircraft.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn