Photo: Hisham Ibrahim / Photodisc / Getty Images
A Republic Airways jet was forced to abort its takeoff to avoid a collision with a United Airlines plane at New York's LaGuardia Airport earlier this month. The incident occurred on Tuesday (May 6) at approximately 12:35 a.m. when both aircraft were on the same runway. An air traffic controller canceled the takeoff clearance for Republic Airways Flight 4736 after realizing United Airlines Flight 2657 was still taxiing on the runway.
The Republic Airways jet had to slam on its brakes, preventing a potential collision. The United flight was a Boeing 737-800 with 107 passengers and six crew members on board. The planes were just 0.27 miles apart when the Republic Airways flight reduced its speed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident. Despite LaGuardia being equipped with an advanced surface radar system known as ASDE-X, which helps prevent close calls, the incident highlights ongoing concerns about runway safety. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has emphasized the need to expand such systems to more airports across the country.
This close call follows another incident in February at Chicago's Midway Airport, where a Southwest plane had to perform a go-around due to a business jet crossing the runway. The FAA continues to work on installing new runway safety technology nationwide to reduce the frequency of these events.