Plane Crash in Missouri Claims 11 Lives
A tragic plane crash in Missouri has resulted in the deaths of 11 skydivers and the pilot. This incident unfolded near Kansas City shortly after takeoff, and it’s reported that some family members witnessed the heartbreaking scene. Investigators from the FAA and NTSB are looking into the possibility of a power-related issue being a factor, although there’s no indication that any deliberate actions were involved.
In another aviation incident, air traffic control audio has captured the moments of a near-miss scenario at Boston Logan International Airport on Saturday. During this incident, an American Airlines flight, cleared for takeoff just minutes earlier, came alarmingly close—within about 300 feet—of a Delta Air Lines plane on approach for landing, according to data from Flightradar 24.
Todd Curtis, a former Boeing safety engineer, provided insights after reviewing the Flightradar data. This kind of close call raises concerns regarding air traffic safety. Archived audio from pilot communications was later made available on LiveATC.net.
A Delta pilot who was arriving from Dallas indicated that he was planning a go-around to avoid the American Airlines flight heading for Charlotte, North Carolina. A go-around is a standard procedure where a pilot opts to abort a landing and climb back up, which is seen as a safe option by the FAA.
In the recorded communication, the Delta pilot mentioned the need to perform the go-around due to traffic. Shortly after this, the air traffic controller inquired about the whereabouts of the American flight, to which the American Airlines pilot clarified they had been granted takeoff clearance.
After the Delta flight executed its go-around maneuver, air traffic control instructed the pilots to maintain an altitude of 3,000 feet. The Delta plane finally touched down around 11:45 a.m. ET, roughly ten minutes after the near-miss.
Interestingly, a spokesperson from Delta Air Lines mentioned that their aircraft are equipped with systems that warn crews about possible traffic issues, and the crew had indeed received an alert during the descent. Fortunately, all 129 passengers and six crew members onboard the Delta flight emerged safely.
This incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of aviation safety after a series of recent mishaps. Just last week, a notable tech entrepreneur tragically lost his life when his business jet crashed on a highway in Laredo, Texas. Meanwhile, a small plane crash in Bowie, Maryland, over the weekend led to three more fatalities.
