Disturbing Study Shows Just How Often Planes Nearly Hit Each Other

A disturbing number of commercial planes have nearly hit each other recently with at least 46 close calls were reported in the past month, according to a study conducted by the New York Times published on Monday (August 21).

The incidents were highlighted in preliminary Federal Aviation Administration safety reports, however, not disclosed publicly, according to the report. The New York Times acknowledged that there haven't been any major commercial U.S. plane crashes during the past decade, but incidents in which planes nearly hit each other has occurred, on average, multiple times per week with about 300 incidents reported during a 12-month span, according to internal FAA records, federal safety reports and interviews with current and former pilots, air traffic controllers and federal officials included in the study.

In February, a FedEx cargo plane nearly crashed into a Southwest Airlines plane while attempting to land at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the FAA confirmed in a statement obtained by the Austin American-Statesman.

The FedEx Boeing 767 cargo plane was several miles form the airport and cleared to land before it was forced to reverse course after the Southwest Boeing 737 plane was cleared to depart on the same runway, the agency said.

“The pilot of the FedEx airplane discontinued the landing and initiated a climb out,” the FAA said.

The Southwest flight was given the go-ahead for takeoff on Runway Left by an air traffic controller just as the FedEx cargo plane was expected to land.

In January, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 plane was set to depart at around 8:45 p.m. when air controllers noticed an American Airlines Boeing 777 plane crossing in front of it and frantically ordered to cancel take off clearance. The Delta plane came to an abrupt stop and successfully avoided a collision with the American plane, which was about 1,000 feet away as it crossed an adjacent taxiway, according to the FAA.