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Aviation safety has been a hot topic of late, with the traveling public voicing concern over the number of near misses and incidents at airports across the country. Two recent close calls at two airports have drawn attention to an ongoing problem across the country. Runway incursions have been on the rise and the recent publicized incidents have also increased concern over controller fatigue and staffing problems. On April 17 a Swiss Air flight headed for Zurich aborted takeoff when the pilot spotted multiple planes crossing the same runway at John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK). Swiss Air told CBS News New York that the plane had reached a speed slightly above the maximum for taxiing when the pilot suddenly hit the brakes, avoiding catastrophe. Fox Business reported that the Swiss Air aircraft was cleared for takeoff at the same time an air traffic controller on another frequency cleared other jets to cross the runway.
"Due to the high level of situational awareness and quick reaction of our crew, a potentially dangerous situation was quickly de-escalated," Swiss Air told FOX Business.
CBS News New York shared part of the ATC audio, with the Swiss Air flight reporting that it was rejecting takeoff due to traffic on the runway. According to Aero Inside, the Swiss Air flight was in an Airbus A330-300. The other aircraft on the runway included a Delta Airlines Boeing 767-400, a Delta Airlines Bombardier C-Series CS-300 and an American Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX. Multiple news outlets reported four jets on the runway at the time, but the fourth plane has not been identified. The Swiss Air plane took off later than scheduled and had a safe flight back to Zurich.
Just one day after the JFK incident, on April 18, a near miss was reported at Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia when a Southwest plane nearly crossed the runway as a JetBlue flight was taking off. According to ATC audio posted on YouTube, a controller instructed the Southwest flight to cross the runway after the JetBlue flight began its takeoff. The controller could be heard shouting "Stop! Stop!" as the Southwest flight nearly crossed onto the runway the JetBlue was taking off of. According to CNN, the two planes stopped about 400 feet apart.
"An air traffic controller instructed Southwest Airlines Flight 2937 to cross Runway 4 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport while JetBlue Flight 1554 was starting its takeoff roll on the same runway," the FAA said to CNN.
The two planes were able to stop and avoid a collision. Following the near miss, the JetBlue plane took a left, taxiing back to the runway threshold. The Southwest flight continued across the runway and toward a second runway where it continued to its destination as planned. JetBlue told CNN that the plane was inspected and took off safely for the Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) as planned.
The FAA states that a runway incursion is any incident involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person in the protected, designated area of a surface designated for the landing or take-off of an aircraft. These incursions are categorized based on severity, with Category A being an incident in which a collision was narrowly avoided and Category D defined as an incident that meets the definition of a runway incursion. Incursions can occur when a plane, ground vehicle, object or person has entered the runway or surface area that a plane is using for takeoff or landing, and could result in a catastrophic crash.RELATED STORIES:FAA to install new airfield surveillance systems to reduce risk of runway incursionsSafety alert issued after series of runway incursions, FAA urges airlines and pilots to take actionFlight crew refuses interview after JFK runway incursion, NTSB issues subpoenasRecent runway incursions cause alarm, stats show they are on the rise
In 2023 there were several highly publicized incursions across the countries, some resulting in clipped wings and tails. JFK saw a serious close call on Jan. 13, 2023 when an American Airlines Boeing 777 crossed the runway without ATC clearance and the Delta Airlines 737 aborted takeoff at 100 knots, stopping 500 feet short of taxiway J, making the closest point between the two aircraft 1,400 feet. In February 2023, a parked United Flight 2135 had its wing clipped by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner arriving at the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). One day later, a FedEx 767 and Southwest 737 had a close call at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) when the 767 landed and the 737 departed, coming less than 1,000 feet apart.
Most incidents involving aircraft occur during the takeoff or landing phase since the plane is closer to the ground and more vulnerable. The last fatal runway incursion was on Aug. 27, 2006 when two flights attempted to take off from the same runway and of the 50 passengers and crew, only a first officer survived. Despite several changes and safety interventions, runway incursions have been on the rise since 2011 after declining for several years. The FAA's runway incursion totals by quarter show a slight increase in 2023 compared to 2022, with 1,730 for 2022 and 1,760 for 2023. As of Feb. 28, 2024 the FAA reports 685 total incursions for the fiscal year.
After the spike in runway incursions in early 2023, the FAA issued a safety alert and held a Safety Summit on March 15, where industry leaders and members met to discuss aviation safety and the string of incidents across the country. The FAA began granting funds to airports across the country to install lighting or reconfigure confusing taxiways to reduce the risk of runway incursions. In April the FAA announced it was installing new airfield surveillance systems to reduce the risk of runway incursions.
In November 2023 an American Airlines Airbus A321 and a Pilatus PC-12 were both cleared for simultaneous descents on parallel runways at JFK. Still, the PC-12 deviated from its assigned path and a collision was narrowly avoided. The American Airlines pilot requested information from the tower after landing, expressing concern over the clearance given to the PC-12.
"If we hadn't bailed out, we would have collided," a pilot in the Airbus told the tower after landing.RELATED STORIES:FAA takes action to address controller fatigue, groups warns of unintended consequencesFAA launches new controller alert tool to keep planes on proper runwaysAfter close call between planes at JFK, we examine simultaneous approaches on parallel runwaysFAA convenes panel of experts to address air traffic controller fatigueFAA achieves 1,500-controller hiring goal for 2023
While the concern over runway incursions has grown over the last year, as has the concern over the factors behind these close calls, like controllers. In many of the reported incursions, planes were cleared to land or take off from the same runway by a controller. With the public concern growing, many were drawing attention to the overworked and understaffed controllers across the country. In August 2023 the FAA announced that it had met its hiring goal by hiring 1,500 air traffic controllers, with many certified to begin work while others continued training. The FAA's training academy closed for six months during the 2020 pandemic and on-the-job training at facilities was paused for nearly two years. But on December 2023 the FAA announced it was convening a panel of fatigue experts to find new ways to address air traffic controller fatigue.
The FAA reported that due to the increase in runway incursions, it was bolstering ATC training and safety reporting. On Monday the FAA announced that it was taking immediate action to address controller fatigue and ensure controllers were well-rested by making immediate changes with longer-term, systemic changes to come down the road. The FAA will now require 10 hours off between shifts and 12 hours off before a midnight shift, effective 90 days after the announcement.
"I understand this lengthened rest period will be an adjustment for thousands of our air traffic controllers," Whitaker said. "We are committed to engaging the workforce and our partners at the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to prioritize health and well-being as operations adapt."
The NTSB praised the change, revisiting a 2006 and 2011 crash involving controller fatigue, sharing that the agency has been calling for action for over 18 years."The science around the dangers of fatigue is clear," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. "The safety of our skies depends on air traffic controllers who are well-trained and well-rested. This move by the FAA to give overworked and overscheduled air traffic controllers proper rest between shifts is the right thing to do."While the NTSB praised the action, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association warned the FAA that the changes would have unintended consequences. The group feared that the understaffing at towers across the country would be forced to overwork the limited number of trained staff members to compensate for the changes.
"FAA has not modeled these changes to determine what unintended consequences they may have to the already strained air traffic control staffing coverage," the NATCA said.
"Understaffing currently requires FAA to assign mandatory overtime to controllers, including regular 6-day workweeks, which leads to fatigue," the NATCA said. "In 2022, controllers at 40% of FAA facilities worked 6 days a week at least once per month. Several facilities required 6-day workweeks every week."
While the FAA has said it met its 2023 hiring goal, the NATCA said the agency only added 15 fully certified controllers and an additional 15 trainees. The complexity and safety-sensitive demands of ATC operations come with barriers that are hard for the agency to break down. Staffing plans and increased hiring may not make the cut, according to the NATCA. Risk factors like overtime and consecutive days or weeks worked could be addressed with increased staffing. Barriers like sleep loss and circadian disruption due to night work and rotating shifts often lead to errors and incidents. The panel's report did acknowledge that implementing these scheduling changes would be challenging and take time, considering the many complex factors like operational demands and staffing.
On top of the many improvements and changes the FAA has initiated to mitigate runway risks, the agency has worked to strengthen ATC training and tools. In March the FAA announced it was launching a new surface safety tool called Approach Runway Verification at towers across the country to improve airport safety. The tool is installed at several towers already and is one of three situational awareness tools that make up the FAA's surface safety portfolio.
Runway incursions are caused by numerous factors and the recent incidents at JFK and DCA are being investigated and a report including a probable cause has not been released. Safety is a priority across all phases of flight, from the ground to the sky, takeoff to land. The two recent incursions are a reminder that improving safety is an ongoing process and there is always work to be done. Both incidents will be investigated by the proper authorities and a probable cause, if one can be determined, will be included in a final report in one to two years.