Both aircraft received clearance to take off and land on the same runway
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report on the incident at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), Sarasota, Florida, USA, between an American Airlines Boeing 737 and an Air Canada Rouge Airbus A321where at their closest proximity, the two aircraft were 0.6 miles (965 meters) apart horizontally.
On February 16 this year, an Air Canada Rouge Airbus A321, registered C-GKFB, operated flight AC1633 from SRQ to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Canada.
At 20:59 local time, the flight crew of the Canadian airline rreceived clearance to take off on runway 14 by air traffic control (ATC); at the same time, American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registered N826NN, operating flight AAL2172 from Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT) to SRQ, also received clearance to land on the same track.
Analysis of radar data at the airport showed that the American Airlines crew contacted the local controller (LC) regarding 10 miles (16 km) from the airport, and the LC cleared the Boeing 737 to land on runway 14. ; when the CLT flight was on a 5 km (3.12 mi) final approach, the LC asked if the Air Canada Rouge flight was ready for takeoff, to which the flight crew responded in the affirmative.
The LC cleared the Airbus A321 to take off from runway 14 and informed them regarding the traffic, that is, that flight AAL2172 was on a final approach of 3 miles (4.8 km); 13 seconds later, the controller informed the American Airlines crew that the A321 was departing from the same runway they had been cleared to land on.
However, as the Air Canada Rouge aircraft mightn’t clear the track fast enoughthe American Airlines pilots were forced to initiate a go-around on their own to avoid a collision.
None of the passengers or crew were injured. on any of the flights; the American Airlines 737 was carrying 172 passengers and six crew members, while the Air Canada Rouge flight had 188 passengers and six crew members on board.
The near miss at SRQ is one of a series of incidents being investigated by the NTSB, according to Aerotime.
According to the president of the board, Jennifer Homendy, the NTSB is looking at six runway incursionstwo landings on the wrong runway and two major events in Hawaii, USA.
