In March 2010, a United Airlines flight departing San Francisco International for Beijing raised midair collision alarms shortly after takeoff when pilots discovered that it nearly collided with a single engine Cessna already in the air. National Transportation Safety Board regulations prohibit planes from being within 500 vertical feet of each other in flight. Only 300 vertical feet separated the two planes above SFO.
Unfortunately, the March event was not an anomaly. Over the last year, a cargo jet came within 100 feet of a USAirways jet over Anchorage, Alaska. A Southwest jet and a helicopter came within 125 feet of each other above Houston, Texas. Another Southwest jet and a small aircraft were 200 feet apart near Burbank, California. A number of news outlets, including the San Francisco Examiner and Associated Press, report that 2010 has seen more midair close calls than the same period in 2009. Speculation abounds as to whether a shortage of experienced air traffic controllers may be the source of the problem.
With the increased frequency of near-catastrophes in the last year, the Federal Aviation Administration recently announced new safety efforts to prevent future collisions and near-collisions. In August, the FAA will hold a conference of airline industry officials in Washington, D.C. to address the recent spike in near misses in the air.
The FAA also seeks input prior to the meeting from air traffic controllers and other employees in traffic operations. Specifically, the agency wants to know about the biggest problems that could lead to midair disasters. Additionally, it has implemented a confidential call center where employees can anonymously report mistakes. The FAA receives 250 to 300 reports each week, and plans to use the data to investigate and substantiate trends.
