The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is conducting an investigation into a near midair collision involving two planes at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport over the weekend.
Preliminary data from Flightradar24 indicates that a United Airlines flight came within less than a quarter mile (440 meters) of a Delta flight while both were approaching to land. Fortunately, both aircraft landed safely despite experiencing a loss of required separation during their descent.
The incident prompted the activation of the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) on both planes, which provides pilots with alerts and guidance in the event of a potential collision. Delta Flight 1070, which was en route from Detroit, had 245 passengers on board, while United Flight 1724, arriving from San Francisco, carried 129 passengers.
Reports indicate that an air traffic controller had cleared the United flight for landing on Runway 7 and instructed the Delta flight to divert to Runway 8 when the close call occurred. Audio recordings obtained by CBS News captured the moment when collision warnings activated in the cockpit, prompting urgent alerts such as “Descend, descend.”
According to the FAA, both flight crews received alerts indicating the presence of the other aircraft nearby. At one point during the incident, the planes were separated vertically by 425 feet (129 meters) and less than a second later, the horizontal distance between them narrowed to under a quarter of a mile.
In response to the incident, Delta emphasized that its flight crews routinely train for such uncommon scenarios and adhered to the resolution advisory provided by the TCAS. United Airlines also confirmed that its flight crew received an automated warning to “change their altitude,” to which they responded promptly, ensuring a safe landing.
The FAA has noted an increase in “runway incursions” across U.S. airports in recent years, with 1,757 incidents recorded in fiscal 2024. While these figures are relatively minor compared to the over 45,000 flights that operate daily in the U.S., aviation experts stress the importance of ongoing efforts to reduce such incidents for enhanced safety in air travel.
