Pilot Contacts Wrong Control Tower at LaGuardia Airport
A Republic Airways pilot made an error when he contacted the wrong control tower in New York during a landing attempt at LaGuardia Airport earlier this month, according to various reports from authorities.
On March 15, Delta flight 5752, operated by Republic Airways, was gearing up for landing at LaGuardia when the pilot accidentally reached out to the tower at John F. Kennedy Airport, located about 10 miles away.
Air traffic controllers at JFK seemed puzzled as the flight, which was coming from Washington, D.C., requested landing clearance. Audio from air traffic control captured the moment.
“Brickyard 5752, LaGuardia Tower,” the pilot announced, to which the JFK controller replied, “Brickyard 5752. Sorry, where are you?”
The pilot clarified, “Last two miles, Brickyard 5752.”
In a state of confusion, the JFK controller asked, “Where is the 2-mile final?” and the pilot responded, “Runway 4.”
“At LaGuardia?” was the next question from the JFK tower, and the pilot confirmed, “Yes, ma’am.”
“This is Kennedy Tower. Please go to LaGuardia Tower,” the controller instructed swiftly.
“Oh my god, I understand,” the pilot replied, sounding somewhat distressed.
A fellow pilot reacted, remarking, “That’s crazy.”
A spokesperson for Republic Airways mentioned that after realizing the mistake, the flight went around and successfully landed at LaGuardia without incident. Delta Air Lines clarified that no flight crew members were on board.
Former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Robert Sumwalt, commented on the situation, stating, “If the plane had landed at LaGuardia without being cleared, it would have been a very, very bad mistake.” He added, “I flew for 31 years and was an airline pilot for 24 years. I have not heard of any specific errors like this occurring. We want to learn from this incident and make sure it never happens again.”
This incident took place just a week before another notable event, where Air Canada Express Flight 8646 collided with a Port Authority truck on Runway 4 at LaGuardia, leading to the tragic deaths of two pilots and injuring 41 people.
