Two planes were moments from colliding in Texas, a harrowing example of the country’s fraying air safety system, a New York Times investigation found.
On a chilly, foggy Saturday morning in February, an air traffic controller granted permission for a FedEx cargo plane to land on Runway 18L at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. A Southwest Airlines jet was also present on the same runway, but the controller assured that it would take off before the FedEx Boeing 767, which is quite massive, approached too closely.
However, as the FedEx plane descended through the dense clouds, the pilots witnessed a horrifying sight: the outline of the Southwest 737. The two aircraft were mere moments away from a potential collision.
A FedEx pilot took control of the air traffic control radio frequency and directed Southwest to cancel its takeoff. Southwest did not comply. The FedEx crew quickly increased engine power to ascend away from the Southwest plane. One of the FedEx pilots communicated, “Taking off.”
The FedEx aircraft, which had three crew members on board, narrowly passed less than 100 feet above the other jet. The 128 passengers on Southwest Flight 708 continued their journey to Cancún, Mexico. The passengers had no idea that they had come very close to a life-threatening situation.
In a year filled with many close calls involving U.S. airlines, this was the one that most worried federal aviation officials: A disaster was narrowly avoided, and various parts of the highly regarded U.S. air safety system had failed.
While the basic details of the incident have been publicly disclosed, a detailed reconstruction by The New York Times reveals that an air traffic controller made extremely serious mistakes.
However, the errors made by this controller, who continues to direct some plane traffic in Austin, are just part of the problem, according to 10 current and former controllers in Austin and internal documents from the Federal Aviation Administration that The Times reviewed.
Austin-Bergstrom, like the vast majority of U.S. airports, lacks the technology to allow controllers to track planes on the ground and warn of impending collisions. As a result, on foggy days, controllers can’t always see what’s happening on runways and taxiways. Some have even resorted to using a public flight tracking website instead of radar.
Furthermore, Austin has been dealing with a shortage of experienced controllers for years, even as airport traffic has reached record levels. Nearly three-quarters of shifts have been understaffed. Both managers and controllers have repeatedly raised concerns about the staffing levels, warning that this poses a danger to the public. The controller on duty that February morning was working an overtime shift.
In June, the top manager at Austin at the time, Stephen B. Martin, and a local union representative wrote a memo urgently requesting more controllers. They wrote to FAA and union officials, saying, “We need to take drastic measures to ensure the facility is adequately staffed for the current level of air traffic.”
Austin serves as a representative example of a systemic crisis within the U.S. air travel safety net. While there haven’t been any fatal crashes involving major U.S. airlines since 2009, there have been numerous close calls occurring several times a week this year, as reported by The Times in August.
One significant factor contributing to this issue is errors made by air traffic controllers. The ongoing wave of retirements and the slow pace of training new recruits have resulted in a nationwide staffing shortage. In 2023, 99% of the nation’s air traffic control facilities, including Austin’s, were understaffed. Exhausted controllers and their colleagues are finding it increasingly challenging to act as a crucial defense against pilot mistakes. In some instances, controllers are resorting to alcohol and sleeping pills to cope with the stress and demanding schedules they face.
Technological problems have further exacerbated this situation. In Austin, the wind speed and direction assessment system was offline for weeks, forcing controllers to rely on a windsock. In New Mexico and Southern California, controllers reported communication failures with pilots due to radio frequency issues at critical moments. Other facilities experienced radar feed failures, which are vital for tracking planes in the sky, and malfunctioning runway lights.
The information presented in The Times’ investigation is based on an analysis of FAA records, federal safety reports, and interviews with over 50 current and former pilots, air traffic controllers, and federal officials. Many sources spoke anonymously to protect their jobs.
Matthew Lehner, an FAA spokesman, acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating that the close call in Austin should never have occurred. The FAA promptly instituted training to reinforce existing procedures at the facility.
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the February incident, described by its chairwoman, Jennifer Homendy, as a nearly “disastrous collision.” She noted that this incident is just one of seven serious close calls and near misses involving commercial airlines that the agency initiated investigations on this year.
Additionally, there have been several other close calls in Austin over the past year, as indicated by internal FAA safety reports and other documents reviewed by The Times. For instance, in November, Southwest and American Airlines planes had a dangerously close encounter. In April, an exhausted air traffic controller’s mistake led to a SkyWest Airlines jet coming into the path of a Southwest plane. Last month, a fighter jet narrowly avoided crashing into two other aircraft, including a private jet that abruptly changed course to prevent a collision.
Six Fraught Minutes
Damian Campbell started his overtime shift in the Austin control tower around 5:45 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, even though it was one of his scheduled days off. He was called in to help due to a staffing shortage.
Mr. Campbell, a Navy veteran and self-published poet, had been working in air traffic control since approximately 2010, with previous assignments in South Bend, Indiana, and other places. In 2019, he was stationed in Austin.
During his shift that morning, Mr. Campbell was responsible for managing departures and arrivals. The only other person in the tower with him was a supervisor who was busy directing planes on the ground. (The F.A.A. spokesman, Mr. Lehner, stated that the facility was adequately staffed that morning.)
The presence of thick fog in Austin, an unusual occurrence, severely limited visibility. Additionally, Austin did not have ground radar, which meant that Mr. Campbell couldn’t visually track the positions of planes on taxiways and runways. He had to rely on the pilots on the ground to inform him of their locations.
Around 6:34 a.m., a pilot on FedEx Flight 1432, arriving from Memphis, communicated with Mr. Campbell via radio. The Boeing 767 was approximately 18 miles away, according to an internal F.A.A. report reviewed by The Times. The pilot requested permission to land.
In response, Mr. Campbell cleared the FedEx flight for landing on runway 18L, which is a 9,000-foot runway. He also mentioned that visibility was significantly reduced due to the thick fog.
About four minutes later, he cleared a Southwest flight bound for Cancún to take off from the same runway, 18L. At this point, the FedEx plane was on its final approach, just three miles away. The gap between the two planes was closing rapidly.
After another 43 seconds, the FedEx pilot, aware that the Southwest plane was on the same runway, sought confirmation that it was safe to land.
Mr. Campbell replied, “You are cleared to land.”
The FedEx plane was about 150 feet above the ground when its pilots finally spotted the airport, which had been obscured by dense clouds. It was at this moment that they saw the outline of the Southwest plane, which was rolling down the same runway on which the FedEx jet was about to land.
Both planes were rapidly approaching a collision. There was no time to seek approval. One of the FedEx pilots quickly radioed, “Southwest, abort!”
They pulled the cargo plane up and increased engine power to avoid a disastrous landing on top of the smaller jet, which continued to accelerate and then took off.
The two aircraft came within approximately 50 feet of each other when accounting for the Southwest plane’s tail and the FedEx jet’s landing gear, according to F.A.A. officials (the N.T.S.B. reported a distance of less than 200 feet).
Thankfully, the emergency was averted, but confusion persisted. Mr. Campbell, an air traffic controller, overheard the FedEx pilot canceling the takeoff for Southwest, but he mistakenly thought it was one of the Southwest pilots issuing the command. In aviation, pilots usually don’t issue such commands. As a result, Mr. Campbell directed the Southwest plane off the runway.
A Southwest pilot clarified, “Negative,” and the plane continued its ascent into the sky.
Minutes later, the FedEx plane circled back for a second landing attempt.
After they safely landed, Mr. Campbell radioed an apology to the pilots, saying, “You have our apologies. We appreciate your professionalism.”
It’s worth noting that Mr. Campbell’s identity had not been publicly disclosed prior to this. Typically, the names of individuals involved in serious aviation incidents become known during N.T.S.B. investigations.
Mr. Campbell declined to comment, citing F.A.A. rules prohibiting communication with the media. He referred The Times to Galen Munroe, a spokesman for the controllers’ union, who also refrained from commenting on ongoing investigations. Munroe emphasized that it is “wholly irresponsible to identify and release personal details of aviation safety professionals that are potentially involved in an ongoing N.T.S.B. investigation.” He further stated that air traffic controllers are dedicated to ensuring the safe and efficient operation of airspace.
The Times requested permission from the F.A.A. to speak with Mr. Campbell, but permission was not granted.
‘Trying to Kill Us’
In Austin, there was a solemn atmosphere. Susan Green, the supervisor who had been working alongside Mr. Campbell, sat alone in an office, reviewing the incident. An observer noted that she had a pale, ghostly expression on her face. She did not respond to requests for comments.
That evening, the N.T.S.B. disclosed that they were looking into what they termed as “a potential runway incursion and overflight” at the Austin airport.
Some passengers on the Southwest flight began to hear about what had transpired.
Caroline Weise and her husband had been on their way to Cancún for a vacation at an all-inclusive resort. She mentioned that nothing had seemed unusual during the Southwest flight. Reggie Hale, who was traveling with his pregnant wife for a babymoon, remarked that the flight had been very smooth.
Ms. Weise and Mr. Hale found out about the close call only after it had become a news story. “We immediately felt relieved knowing that we had narrowly escaped a dangerous situation,” Mr. Hale commented. With two children waiting at home, he expressed his gratitude for having previously prepared their will.
Several Austin air traffic controllers said they felt unwell after watching video replays of the near collision and realizing how close passengers had come to a life-threatening situation.
Controllers are trained to minimize delays between takeoffs and landings, even when there’s little air traffic to prevent traffic congestion. However, in the case of the Austin incident, both current and former controllers found the actions of Mr. Campbell, the air traffic controller involved, puzzling. There was no urgency for the Southwest flight to take off because the FedEx 767 was the only plane waiting to land.
Mr. Campbell reported the incident through the Air Traffic Safety Action Program, a confidential channel for controllers to report safety concerns. The Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.) typically refrains from disciplinary action against controllers unless there’s gross negligence or illegal activity involved.
Two days after the incident, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (N.T.S.B.) arrived in Austin. During an interview, Mr. Campbell became emotional and requested a break in the parking lot.
Mr. Campbell informed the F.A.A. that he expected the Southwest plane to start its takeoff sooner, according to individuals familiar with his statement.
In the weeks following the incident, controllers and pilots nationwide analyzed the close call. Some questioned why the Southwest pilots proceeded with the takeoff when they knew the FedEx plane was very close, and visibility was poor. (A Southwest spokesperson noted the airline’s cooperation with federal investigations.)
Pilots flying into and out of Austin began to second-guess controller instructions. In early March, a Delta Air Lines pilot, cleared to land by a controller, aborted the landing at the last moment, later citing discomfort with the proximity of the plane in front of him in an internal F.A.A. report.
At another instance, an individual in the control tower overheard a pilot on the radio frequency claiming that controllers were “trying to endanger us here in Austin.”
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