Two commercial jets, one a Singapore Airlines (SIA) Boeing 777 and the other a Delta Airlines 320, were dangerously close to colliding in the air above Bush Intercontinental Airport on Friday.
Houston local channel KPRC reported the SIA plane, which was taking off at the time, had flown within 200 feet vertically and a half-mile horizontally of the A320, which was just landing from Salt Lake City.
The specs broke the national aviation authority's boundaries of a half-mile vertically and three miles horizontally.
A spokesperson from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has faulted the SIA pilot, saying he'd not levelled off as required, causing a loss of separation. "Had they collided there would have been hundreds of deaths. It would have been a very large aviation catastrophe, said Houston expert Joshua Verde.
Channel NewsAsia says SIA has confirmed the incident, but are unable to comment as investigations are still underway.
Watch KPRC's report, which includes the conversation between air traffic control and the Delta Airlines pilot, who'd been forced to dive several thousand feet in a minute to avoid a clash.
Photo: Video screenshot
Two commercial jets, one a Singapore Airlines (SIA) Boeing 777 and the other a Delta Airlines 320, were dangerously close to colliding in the air above Bush Intercontinental Airport on Friday.
Houston local channel KPRC reported the SIA plane, which was taking off at the time, had flown within 200 feet vertically and a half-mile horizontally of the A320, which was just landing from Salt Lake City.
The specs broke the national aviation authority's boundaries of a half-mile vertically and three miles horizontally.
A spokesperson from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has faulted the SIA pilot, saying he'd not levelled off as required, causing a loss of separation. "Had they collided there would have been hundreds of deaths. It would have been a very large aviation catastrophe, said Houston expert Joshua Verde.
Channel NewsAsia says SIA has confirmed the incident, but are unable to comment as investigations are still underway.
Watch KPRC's report, which includes the conversation between air traffic control and the Delta Airlines pilot, who'd been forced to dive several thousand feet in a minute to avoid a clash.
Photo: Video screenshot