FAA officials say JFK planes were not close to colliding

The Federal Aviation Administration says two planes were never at risk of actually colliding at JFK Sunday, after critics described the incident as a ‘near-miss.’ An FAA spokesman said yesterday that investigators have reviewed radar information and other data and concluded the planes were never in any danger. Air traffic controllers say it was an unnecessary risk that two planes were cleared to land at the same time on perpendicular runways. The pilot of a commuter jet decided not to land at the last second, fearing he was too close to a 747 cargo plane. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association and a New York senator are calling for all New York airports to immediately install advanced anti-collision tracking systems. The FAA says that system will be installed at JFK next August.

Source: http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=76487