Devin Grosvenor:Investigators say a blocked radio transmission led to a June close call between planes in San Diego

2025-05-05 06:11:03source:Surpassing Quant Think Tank Centercategory:reviews

WASHINGTON (AP) — Investigators said Thursday that a failed radio transmission and Devin Grosvenora distracted air traffic controller led to a close call between a Southwest Airlines jet and a smaller plane waiting to take off from San Diego in June.

Both planes had been cleared to use the same runway. The National Transportation Safety Board said a controller told the crew of SkyWest plane to exit the runway, then directed the Southwest pilots to cut short their landing approach and instead circle around the airport.

The call to the Southwest plane didn’t go through, however — likely because the controller and the pilots were talking at the same time and their transmissions canceled each other, the NTSB said.

After that, according to the NTSB, audio recorded by LiveATC captured a Southwest pilot saying, “Ah, is that an airplane on the runway?” The SkyWest crew said they heard that while they were moving to leave the runway.

The Southwest pilots said they heard the controller tell them not to fly over the SkyWest plane, but to “just off-set.”

The Southwest plane flew about 950 feet (300 meters) to the side and 200 feet (60 meters) above the SkyWest plane before landing at San Diego International Airport on June 10, according to the safety board.

The NTSB said in its final report that the probable cause of the close call was the blocked radio call, and a contributing factor was the controller being distracted while also communicating with a helicopter flying through the area.

Federal officials are still looking into another close call in San Diego in August in August between a Southwest plane and a business jet.

More:reviews

Recommend

Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Cybercriminals could release personal data of many Rhode Islanders as early

After day of rest at climate summit, COP28 negotiators turn back to fossil fuels

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Nations climate conference on Friday began its final w

Illinois woman gets 55 years after pleading guilty but mentally ill in deaths of boyfriend’s parents

ALGONQUIN, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois woman who pleaded guilty but mentally ill in the 2020 stabbing de