Last week, a federal investigation was launched after two airliners came dangerously close to each other in stormy skies above Portland International Airport. The incident occurred when an Alaska Airlines flight, departing from Southern California, attempted to land on a runway adjacent to a SkyWest plane that had taken flight at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Monday, according to the Oregonian.
Dramatic audio and visual evidence released by VASAviation showed the Alaska plane aborting its landing and veering away in response to urgent instructions from the air traffic controller. The aircraft were estimated to be approximately 1,800 feet apart horizontally and 250 feet apart vertically, as reported by the newspaper, making it a near-midair collision. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is conducting an investigation, as a near-midair collision is defined as planes being less than 500 feet away from each other.
During the incident, visibility was severely compromised, with heavy rain and mist engulfing the area. Prior to the incident, heavy winds had initially prevented the Alaska flight from landing, causing it to descend to an elevation of 100 feet before executing a “go-around” maneuver, in which the plane ascends for another landing attempt, according to reports. Concurrently, the SkyWest Airlines flight took off from a parallel runway.
The confusion and potential danger arose from conflicting instructions given by the air traffic controller. The Alaska flight was directed to maintain the runway heading, while the SkyWest plane was instructed to make a right turn. However, the pilot of the Alaska flight appeared to misunderstand the directions and repeated them to the other plane, causing the Alaska flight to head right, while the SkyWest flight continued straight. This led to a tense 40-second period during which the two planes appeared to be on a collision course.
Ultimately, the Alaska flight was rerouted to an alternative airport 150 miles away and did not land in Portland until 11:45 p.m. Both Alaska Airlines and SkyWest Airlines downplayed the incident, with Alaska stating that their crew followed protocol and maintained a safe lateral separation, while SkyWest claimed that the safety of the flight was not compromised.
The number of passengers on board each aircraft remains unclear as further investigations are ongoing.
