Another near-miss. The Federal Aviation Administration is
investigating an October 16 incident in which two planes nearly collided.
The potential problem happened at Portland International
Airport in Oregon.
This is how it played out, according to the FAA.
Due to bad weather at the Portland Airport, the pilot of an
Alaska Airlines flight initiated a go-around, but the pilot veered into the
space of a departing SkyWest Airlines plane.
The two aircraft came within 1,800 feet of each other
horizontally, but less than 250 feet vertically.
In a statement, Alaska Airlines wrote that the go-around was
a routine procedure in the face of bad weather and that the crew reacted
immediately and maintained a safe distance from the other plane.
"The safety of our guests and employees is always our
top priority, and consistent with that value, Alaska Airlines is internally
reviewing this event," the airline said.
SkyWest also issued a statement and said that at no point
was anyone in danger.
"The flight departed normally with pilots following Air
Traffic Control instructions and landed routinely at Seattle," the
statement said. "At no point was the safety of the flight
compromised."
Near-misses have been an ongoing
problem for the FAA.
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