Four Other Planes and a Swiss Air Jet Near Collide at US Airport

On the runway of John F. Kennedy Airport, a terrifying mid-air collision with four aircraft planes was averted by a split-second decision made by a Swiss Air pilot. Remarkably, authorization for takeoff was given when other aircraft were still there, according to air traffic control records.

Fortunately, everything was rescued by the pilot’s lightning-fast thinking. An investigation into the near-miss that occurred on April 17th is now underway by the FAA.
“Swiss 17K heavy rejecting takeoff,” the pilot of Swiss Air reported to air traffic control as he became aware of the impending crash. “Traffic on the runway.”

“Get out of here,” the air traffic controller told the pilot.

The FAA’s revelation that four unidentified aircraft crossed the same runway at JFK, causing the Swiss Air flight to abandon departure, confirmed the gravity of the situation. The aviation authorities chose not to comment on the other airlines that were allegedly implicated, according to The Independent.

Airline accidents in 2024 are on the rise, with this week’s JFK incident adding to the increasing list. January of this year saw a near-miss between an American Airlines plane and a Delta plane at the same airport. Another jet was clipped at the gate by a JetBlue plane a few days later. Not far from the nation’s capital, a JetBlue takeoff was aborted after a Southwest aircraft was diverted because of an air traffic control mistake.

Also, all Alaska Airlines flights were stopped by the FAA because of a computer fault, and Boeing was under investigation for safety issues brought up by a door malfunction and whistleblower testimony. The aviation sector must be more vigilant in light of these instances, which provide a disturbing picture of near misses.