- The planes narrowly avoided a collision above an Oregon airport at approximately 4.15pm on Monday.
- They came within 250 feet of each other during ‘tornadic activity’ across the state.
- The Alaska plane, traveling at 214mph, aborted its landing to avoid a crash.
Two commercial planes narrowly avoided a collision after one took off from Portland International Airport during a storm. The dramatic near-miss was captured on flight tracking video.
A YouTube channel called VASAviation has shared the nail-biting moment between an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 and a SkyWest plane. The SkyWest plane had just taken off from the runway in northwest Oregon around 4.14pm on Monday.
Air traffic control audio recorded the controller repeatedly urging the Alaska flight to change course to avoid colliding with the SkyWest plane. The tension in the controller’s voice increased as the two aircraft approached each other.
The Alaska Airlines flight from Orange County, California, was traveling at a speed of over 200mph when it aborted its landing. This was in response to the SkyWest plane taking off from a parallel airstrip to the north.
The two planes came within 250 feet of each other, which is half the minimum proximity defined by the FAA as a ‘near midair collision’ (500 feet).
Following the incident, the Alaska plane changed its course instructed by the air traffic controller to avoid the SkyWest plane. The FAA is currently investigating the incident.
Alaska Airlines has confirmed the incident and stated that it is reviewing the situation, prioritizing passenger and employee safety. A spokesperson stated, “‘The crew of Flight 1299 followed cockpit indications and reacted immediately to increase separation from the other aircraft.'”
SkyWest also released a separate statement saying, “‘At no point was the safety of the flight compromised.'”
The exact number of passengers on each plane is unknown.
The incident occurred during ‘tornadic activity’ in Oregon, according to weather forecasts at the time, with stormy weather warnings issued across the state.
Flight tracking data shows that the Alaska Airlines 1299 flight departed from John Wayne airport in Santa Ana at 2pm on Monday.
Following the near-miss, the plane was redirected to Roberts Field in Redmond, Oregon, and landed 26 minutes behind schedule.
The SkyWest 3978 aircraft departed Portland International three minutes ahead of schedule and arrived in Seattle as planned.
The Alaska plane was traveling at a speed of 214mph, while the SkyWest airliner had reached a speed of 190mph, according to Oregon Live. The FAA is conducting an investigation into the incident.
