American Air Jet, Air Force Had Near-Miss

Planes came within seconds of mid-air collision
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 5, 2011 8:46 AM CST
American Air Jet, Air Force Had Near-Miss
American Airlines unveils Boeing 777 pink-ribbon plane, the largest and last of eight aircraft co-branded with Susan G. Komen for the Cure.   (PRNewsFoto/American Airlines)

An American Airlines jet got a little too close to comfort to two Air Force cargo planes two weeks ago, and the feds are investigating the close call, reports the New York Daily News. About 12 minutes after takeoff from JFK airport, the passenger jet's proximity-detection system went off, warning the pilot that the cargo planes were dangerously close—within a half-mile or mere seconds, according to the New York Post—and the pilot quickly slowed the plane and changed course. Aviation officials say they suspect errors on behalf of the pilot and air-traffic controllers contributed.
(More American Airlines stories.)

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