Cayman Airways is refuting reports that one of its 737s was involved in a near-mid-air collision this past weekend with a LAN Chile 767.
New York controllers call the nighttime Saturday, July 5, incident at New York Kennedy (JFK) “ugly”. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association says controllers manning New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) reported the “radar targets of both jets merged on top of each other”. Controllers estimate the two craft came within 100 feet of one another.
According to NATCA, the LAN Chile flight was taking off from Runway 13-Right at JFK, while at the same time the Cayman craft was executing a “missed approach” maneuver on Runway 22-Left. 22 Left runs perpendicular off the end of 13-Right.
This Cheapflights reporter listened to a recording of conversations between the JFK Tower and both the Cayman 737, and LAN Chile pilots. It was obvious from the tone and pacing of the transmissions that something was amiss. The tower told Cayman Flight 792 to make a left turn to avoid LAN Chile Flight 533. The tower told the departing LAN Chile 767 to turn right, out over the water. “The paths of both jets crossed,” contends NATCA.
No one was apparently injured in what NATCA is calling a “near mid-air collision”. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.
© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler
