Two planes almost collided at an airport and audio of the moments prior has been released.
Gayle King explained during a segment on “CBS Mornings,” “A near-collision at New York’s Kennedy Airport is now under investigation. Officials say an American Airlines plane crossed a runway where a Delta flight was accelerating to take off on Friday night.”
The network played back audio of the moments leading up to the incident, with air traffic control saying, “Sh*t. Delta 1943, cancel takeoff plans!”
The Delta flight was bound for the Dominican Republic and had 151 passengers aboard.
The American Airlines flight was headed for London with 137 passengers aboard the aircraft.
Pilots of the Delta flight then slammed on the breaks and stopped the aircraft approximately 1,000 feet from the other plane.
Watch the video below:
.@krisvancleave @CBSMornings with @RobertSumwalt. "The @NTSB is going to want to understand what happened…was there a distraction in the cockpit of the @AmericanAir flight, was there a misunderstandings as to the air traffic control clearance." pic.twitter.com/5nzdYC8dcy
— Ross Feinstein (@RossFeinstein) January 16, 2023
Robert Sumwalt, aviation safety analyst, spoke with the network about the incident.
“Anytime you have a runway incursion like this, there is a potential for very bad things to happen,” Sumwalt said.
When asked what investigators are hoping to piece together, Sumwalt explained, “The NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] is going to be wanting to understand what happened. Why did this happen? Was there a distraction in the cockpit of the American flight?”
He continued, “Was there a misunderstanding as to the air traffic control clearance.”
Delta issued a statement, saying the airline would “work with and assist aviation authorities on a full review of flight 1943 on Jan. 13 regarding an aborted takeoff procedure at New York-JFK.”
The statement continues, “We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay of their travels.”
NBC New York noted there were no injuries reported.