Last Saturday, two planes nearly collided while flying over the area near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and now the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) is investigating the incident.
This alarming incident involved a United Airlines flight and another from Delta, highlighting the growing concerns about air safety at airports in the United States.
What is known about the incident where two planes almost collided in the air at Phoenix International Airport?
Delta flight 1070, operated by an Airbus A330-300 with 245 passengers from Detroit, was authorized to land on runway 8 at the airport when a collision alert was triggered in the cockpit. At the same time, a United Boeing 737-900 (flight 1724), carrying 123 passengers and 6 crew members from San Francisco, received a similar warning.
At the most critical moment, the aircraft were separated by only 1,217 feet laterally and 875 feet vertically, according to Flightradar24. United, descending above Delta, had to quickly maneuver by ascending from 4,075 feet, fortunately avoiding what would have been a certain tragedy. According to tracker data, the closest distance reached was 0.793 miles laterally and 425 feet vertically.
The air traffic control issued immediate corrective instructions that both crews successfully followed. Both United and Delta have reported that their crews responded according to the established procedures for these critical situations.
United Airlines pilots collaborated with the FAA to clarify the facts of the situation, which is still being investigated as there is an increase in “runway incursions” at airports in the United States. According to FAA data from 2024, 1,757 incidents of this type were recorded, ranging from serious cases to minor incursions.