Are there more near-accidents at U.S. airports lately or do we just hear about them more? The Federal Aviation Administration plans to find out.
The FAA said it is opening an audit into the recent series of cases where planes have nearly collided on taxiways. The study will focus on America’s 45 busiest airports.
As a recent example of the problem, the National Transportation Safety Board said an Alaska Airways jet was told to take off on a runway in Nashville that a Southwest Airlines plane had permission to cross. A collision was avoided but the NTSB said it was a dangerous situation.
The FAA will conduct investigations to produce a profile for all 45 airports. The audit will look at everything from procedures that are in place to the equipment in the airport. If the audit finds areas for improvement, the airport will be formally notified.
Need for ‘urgent action’
Eleven months ago an independent review team issued a report that calls for “urgent action” to increase runway safety and prevent accidents. The Biden administration has proposed hiring an additional 2,000 aircraft controllers to add another margin of safety.
The increase in runway incidents has coincided with a surge in air travel that began with the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Airlines have added flights to meet that demand.
The danger is real. The deadliest air disaster in history occurred on a runway.
On March 27, 1977, a KLM Boeing 747 collided with a Pan Am Boeing 747 on a runway on the Spanish island of Tenerife. The resulting explosions and fire claimed the lives of 583 passengers and crew.