FAA Investigates Near Collision of Two Planes at Bush Airport

Near Miss at Bush Intercontinental Airport

• ⚠️ An incident occurred on December 18th at Bush Intercontinental Airport involving two commercial airliners departing on parallel runways.
• ✈️ The FAA is investigating a near miss that happened just before the Christmas travel rush.
• 🚨 An aviation expert described the event as a very close call, with the potential for a major catastrophe.

Air Traffic Control and Pilot Actions

• 🗺️ According to the FAA, air traffic control instructed one flight (Valaris) to turn left, but the pilots turned right.
• 💥 This deviation brought the planes within hundreds of feet laterally and vertically of each other.
• 🗣️ Audio recordings indicate communication between air traffic control and the involved flights.

TCAS and Collision Avoidance

• 🔊 A former airline captain explained that a Resolution Advisory (RA) would have been automatically issued by the aircraft's Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).
• 💡 TCAS provides automated instructions like "climb, climb now" or "descend now" to prevent collisions.
• ✅ The expert stated that TCAS can be a lifesaver when human error occurs, and disaster was averted in this instance.

Airline Statements

• 💬 Commutair stated that its crew followed the directions of air traffic controllers.
• ❓ A response was still pending from Valaris at the time of the report.