NewsNation

FAA, NTSB launch probe into string of close calls: Expert

(NewsNation) — The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating another close call between aircraft, this time at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts.

“Similar to the incident at JFK, it appears that the crew did not comply with (Air Traffic Control) instructions and procedures,” said Dr. Hassan Shahidi, CEO of Flight Safety Foundations. “So, the investigators want to know why that happened, and put in recommendations to prevent this from occurring again.


Earlier this month, the FAA opened an investigation into a similar incident at Texas’ Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where a plane that was landing nearly collided with another aircraft cleared for takeoff. The flight coming in was a FedEx cargo aircraft, which managed to “initiate a climb out,” FAA officials said in a statement.

In January, a close call at a New York airport and another in Honolulu also prompted FAA investigations.

Billy Nolen, acting FAA administrator, announced a safety review team to look into the technology, procedures and training following these close calls.

“We are experiencing the safest period in aviation history, but we cannot take this for granted,” Nolen wrote in a memo. “Recent events remind us that we must not become complacent. Now is the time to stare into the data and ask hard questions.”