Posted on 12/14/2023 10:23:23 AM PST by george76
A JetBlue Airbus A320 struck its tail on the runaway as it accelerated to avoid a collision with a Beechcraft King Air 350..
The JetBlue plane was taking off from the same runway at Yampa Valley Regional Airport that the King Air plane was about to land on..
Aircraft near-misses are on the rise in the US, amid a severe air traffic controller staffing shortage
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Investigators said a JetBlue plane's tail struck the runway at a Colorado airport when a captain took-off quickly to avoid a head-on crash, as airport near-misses surge due to air traffic controller shortages.
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The NTSB said the JetBlue captain accelerated pointed the nose of his jet up quicker than normal 'due to his surprise about encountering head on landing traffic.'
The King Air crew was startled when the JetBlue plane announced that it was beginning to taxi on to the runway and said 'I hope you don't hit us' to the JetBlue pilots.
The JetBlue captain and co-pilot.. said they never saw the other plane.
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This near-miss is the latest in a slew of growing almost collisions at airports across the country.
In July, there were 46 'close calls' between commercial airlines, according to reports shared by the Federal Aviation Authority.
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Aircraft near-misses are on the rise in the US, amid a severe air traffic controller staffing shortage that controllers say is pushing them to the brink physically and mentally.
In the fiscal year through September 30, 'significant' air traffic control lapses jumped 65 percent from the prior year, to 503 incidents
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
“...I’m not sitting there hoping some air traffic controller didn’t screw up...”
A majority of accidents with aircraft is pilot error. If there had been an ATC guy in front of the scopes that particular acident might not have been a possible. When he was going to roll, the airbus would have requested they open his cloud clearance and a chance to roll and would have been put on hold by the ATC. And with what little traffic in that area there is it would have been very easy for the tower to know what was going on. You don’t really get into a lot of traffic problems at uncontrolled airports. The local ujnicom normally handles the air space.
What I can’t figurte out is who was going in or out the wrong way. Aircraft land and take off into the wind to add lift to the wings. If they were going to hit head on some one was going down wind. The safety guy made it sound like the airliner. And BTW, there is an old phrase that says the most dangerous part of flying is the trip to the airport in the car.
wy69
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