A close call between a United Airlines flight and a Delta Air Lines flight occurred near Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident.
The two planes, carrying 245 passengers on the Delta flight from Detroit and 123 passengers and six crew members on the United flight from San Francisco, were separated by only 425 feet vertically when the collision warning was triggered around 11 a.m.
Justin Giddens, an aviation enthusiast who captured the incident on video while walking with his family, described the scene as “immediate panic mode.” A controller at Phoenix Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) had cleared the United flight to land at Runway 7 Right, but then instructed the Delta flight to turn towards Runway 8.
The pilots quickly changed course, and the planes landed safely. Aviation safety expert Cary Grant reviewed the incident’s audio and data and suggested that the controller was distracted by other aircraft. However, he said there was no chance of a collision between the two planes due to perfect visibility on the day.
Both airlines have emphasized their crews’ training in handling unusual situations like this one. The FAA is working with both airlines to investigate the incident further.
Source: https://www.azfamily.com/2025/01/14/close-call-delta-united-flights-nearly-collide-over-phoenix