Cowboy75
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NTSB investigating near-collision between US Airways jet, little cargo plane
11:35 AM Thu, Sep 23, 2010 | Permalink
Terry Maxon/Reporter
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A US Airways A320 jet and a little cargo airplane came uncomfortably close to each other at Minneapolis-St. Paul on Thursday evening, Sept. 16, and the National Transportation Safety Board is now investigating. According to an NTSB advisory, the US Airways flight and a Bemidji Aviation Services cargo airplane took off on parallel runways early in the evening, with US Airways on the right runway and the Bemidji airplane on the left. An air traffic controller directed the US Airways flight to turn left immediately after departure. That put the flight on a near-collision course with the cargo airplane, a half mile past the end of the runway."Neither pilot saw the other aircraft because they were in the clouds, although the captain of the US Airways flight reported hearing the Beech 99 pass nearby," the NTSB said.
"Estimates based on recorded radar data indicate that the two aircraft had 50 to 100 feet of vertical separation as they passed each other approximately 1500 feet above the ground," it said. How close is that? The Beech 99, a twin-engine turboprop airplane, has a wingspan of 45 feet. The Airbus is 123 feet long. The Beech, headed for La Crosse, Wis., was occupied by a single pilot. The Philadelphia-bound US Airways flight had two pilots, three flight attendants and 90 passengers.
Said the NTSB:
"The US Airways aircraft was equipped with a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) that issued climb instructions to the crew to avert collision. The Beech 99 was not equipped with TCAS and the pilot was unaware of the proximity of the Airbus. There were no reports of damage or injuries as a result of the incident."NTSB and FAA investigators conducted a preliminary investigation at the Minneapolis airport traffic control tower on Sept. 18 and 19 and are continuing to review the circumstances of this incident."
11:35 AM Thu, Sep 23, 2010 | Permalink
Terry Maxon/Reporter
Bio | E-mail |
A US Airways A320 jet and a little cargo airplane came uncomfortably close to each other at Minneapolis-St. Paul on Thursday evening, Sept. 16, and the National Transportation Safety Board is now investigating. According to an NTSB advisory, the US Airways flight and a Bemidji Aviation Services cargo airplane took off on parallel runways early in the evening, with US Airways on the right runway and the Bemidji airplane on the left. An air traffic controller directed the US Airways flight to turn left immediately after departure. That put the flight on a near-collision course with the cargo airplane, a half mile past the end of the runway."Neither pilot saw the other aircraft because they were in the clouds, although the captain of the US Airways flight reported hearing the Beech 99 pass nearby," the NTSB said.
"Estimates based on recorded radar data indicate that the two aircraft had 50 to 100 feet of vertical separation as they passed each other approximately 1500 feet above the ground," it said. How close is that? The Beech 99, a twin-engine turboprop airplane, has a wingspan of 45 feet. The Airbus is 123 feet long. The Beech, headed for La Crosse, Wis., was occupied by a single pilot. The Philadelphia-bound US Airways flight had two pilots, three flight attendants and 90 passengers.
Said the NTSB:
"The US Airways aircraft was equipped with a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) that issued climb instructions to the crew to avert collision. The Beech 99 was not equipped with TCAS and the pilot was unaware of the proximity of the Airbus. There were no reports of damage or injuries as a result of the incident."NTSB and FAA investigators conducted a preliminary investigation at the Minneapolis airport traffic control tower on Sept. 18 and 19 and are continuing to review the circumstances of this incident."
