Near Miss at Newark: Alaska Airlines and FedEx Jets in Close Call

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is probing a critical incident at Newark Liberty International Airport. An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 and a FedEx Boeing 777 had a near-miss while attempting to land on intersecting runways, prompting a go-around for one of the aircraft.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it is investigating a serious incident at Newark Liberty International Airport involving two commercial aircraft. An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 overflew a FedEx Boeing 777 as both planes attempted to land on intersecting runways, raising significant safety concerns.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clarified that an air traffic controller directed Alaska Flight 294 to execute a go-around maneuver at around 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday. This quick decision was made because FedEx Flight 721 was cleared for final approach to another runway that intersected with the one assigned to the Alaska Airlines plane.

The incident underscores the critical nature of air traffic control procedures, especially at busy airports like Newark, located near New York City. The NTSB's investigation will focus on understanding the sequence of events that led to this narrowly avoided disaster, ensuring such close calls are prevented in the future.

(With inputs from agencies.)