A Delta Airlines flight and a United Airlines flight narrowly avoided a collision near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Saturday, January 11. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident.
The FAA says the planes, a Delta Airbus A330-300 and a United Boeing 737-900, experienced “a loss of required separation” as they approached the airport. The crew members received alerts that the other aircraft was nearby, and air traffic control issued corrective instructions to both crews.
Both planes landed safely, but the incident has prompted the FAA to investigate how the planes got so close to each other in the first place.
The Delta flight had 245 passengers and six crew members on board, while the United flight had 123 passengers. The planes were coming from Detroit and San Francisco, respectively.
United Airlines said its pilots received an automatic warning to change their altitude, which prompted them to land the plane safely. Delta said its flight crews are trained to handle such scenarios and followed standard procedures.
An Arizona resident captured photos of the incident, which showed two planes in close proximity as they approached the airport. Aviation expert Cary Grant analyzed the footage and said he didn’t think a collision was likely due to clear weather conditions.
Source: https://people.com/united-and-delta-flights-nearly-collide-while-heading-to-phoenix-airport-8774470