An airliner approaching John F. Kennedy Airport and a small propeller plane came within 500 feet of each other on Monday — at least the second close call near the Queens travel hub in two weeks.
The pilot of a Delta plane reported the situation around 5:15 p.m. as the jet was at an altitude of 2,100 feet while the smaller aircraft, made by Cirrus, was at 2,575 feet, according to FlightRadar24.
Air Traffic Control audio recordings indicate that a controller alerted the pilot of the Delta plane, operated by subsidiary Endeavor Air, of a personal aircraft that was about 500 feet above them, according to ABC7.
The FAA said in a statement that “Endeavor Air Flight 5289 was on final approach to Runway 22L at John F. Kennedy international Airport (JFK) when a Cirrus SR22 crossed over to land on Runway 22R.”
“Air traffic control provided traffic advisories to both pilots, and each reported the other in sight. The required separation was maintained,” the statement continued.
Endeavor Air Flight 5289 was en route to JFK from Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport in upstate New York.
The air traffic controller was not in contact with the smaller plane when the two crossed paths.
The Delta pilots were told to hold still instead of maneuver and they reported back to Air Traffic Control that they had a small propeller plane within sight continuously.
Monday’s close call came two weeks after two passenger planes came less than 400 feet from each other while approaching JFK.
And on Sunday, a United Airlines plane struck a bakery truck on the New Jersey Turnpike while it was about to land at Newark Airport.