Near Mid-Air Collision in San Francisco: Pilots Made Wrong Turn

Incident Overview

• ✈️ A near mid-air collision occurred in San Francisco involving a United flight and a SkyWest flight during a complex takeoff configuration.
• 💡 The creator highlights this incident to emphasize the importance of learning from aviation emergencies and the need for thorough investigation by authorities like the NTSB and FAA.
• 🗣️ The video aims to bring attention to aviation safety matters, with the creator being the first to discuss this specific incident on YouTube.

San Francisco Airport Operations

• 🎛️ San Francisco International Airport (SFO) was operating at maximum capacity with all four runways active for both landings and takeoffs.
• 🛫 This busy configuration involved simultaneous takeoffs from runways 1 Left and 1 Right, and landings on 28 Left and 28 Right, creating a complex operational environment.
• ⚠️ Larger aircraft like the Boeing 747 or A380 typically require the longer 28 Left or Right runways for takeoff due to runway length limitations.

The Near Miss Event

• 🛫 Both United and SkyWest flights were cleared for takeoff on parallel runways (1 Right and 1 Left, respectively).
• 🔄 United, cleared earlier, took off and then turned left, crossing the path of SkyWest, which was still on its takeoff roll.
• ⚠️ SkyWest pilots visually spotted United crossing in front of them at a close proximity, estimated at 0.4 nautical miles horizontally and 280 feet vertically, prompting them to maneuver to avoid a collision.
• 📉 The standard procedure for parallel takeoffs involves divergent departure routes, but in this case, United's left turn caused a convergence with SkyWest's path.

Controller and Pilot Actions

• 🤯 The air traffic controller, overwhelmed by the situation, issued repeated instructions for United to maintain runway heading, which, if followed, would have led to another convergence.
• 🧭 The controller's intended instruction was likely to maintain present heading (westbound) to ensure divergence, but this was not clearly communicated or understood by United.
• 🔄 United pilots, possibly confused or following incorrect navigation data, initially complied with the runway heading instruction, leading to a second left turn towards SkyWest.
• ✈️ The controller then issued a new heading instruction to SkyWest and a left turn to United to ensure separation, ultimately resolving the immediate danger.

Potential Causes and Improvements

• ❓ The exact cause of United's left turn is unknown, but a plausible theory is the incorrect loading of the departure procedure into the Flight Management System (FMS).
• 🗺️ If the departure procedure for runways 28 Left/Right (which involves an initial heading of 284) was loaded instead of the one for 1 Left/Right (heading 014), pilots following the navigation display could have mistakenly turned left.
• 💡 The creator suggests improving safety by creating distinct Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) for each runway at SFO, similar to European practices, to avoid confusion.
• 🧑‍✈️ The video questions the pilots' experience in San Francisco, with claims that it was their first time, suggesting a need for better pre-flight briefings and pilot familiarity with busy airports.