Near Midair Collision at Newark Airport

 

 

 

On Thursday, April 24, 2014, about 1503 eastern daylight time, a near midair collision occurred at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Newark, New Jersey, when an Embraer ERJ145, departing EWR runway 4R for Memphis, Tennessee, passed in close proximity to a Boeing 737-800 arriving from San Francisco, California, intending to land on runway 29. Both aircraft were on passenger flights and under control of EWR airport traffic control tower (ATCT) at the time of the incident. There was no damage reported to either aircraft, or any injuries to passengers or crew.

Na quinta-feira, 24 ABR 2014, às 15:03 horas, horário de Verão do Leste, uma quase colisão no ar ocorreu no  airport Newark Liberty International (KEWR), Newark, New Jersey, quando uma avião Embraer ERJ145, partindo de Newark, pista 4 da Direita, para Memphis, Tennessee, passou rente de um Boeing 737-800 chegando de San Francisco, Califórnia, com a intenção de pousar na pista 29. Ambas aeronaves estavam em voo com passageiros e sob o controle da Torre de Controle de Tráfego (ATCT) do aeroporto de Newark no momento do incidente. Não houve danos relatados para aeronaves, ou quaisquer ferimentos a passageiros ou tripulação.

The United flight was carrying 155 passengers and six crew members. The ExpressJet flight was carrying 47 passengers and three crew members.

O vôo da United estava transportando 155 passageiros e seis tripulantes. O voo da ExpressJet estava transportando 47 passageiros e três tripulantes.

The B737 contacted the EWR tower on the Bridge Visual approach to runway 29. The local controller instructed the pilot to follow a B717 ahead, and cleared the pilot to land on runway 29. When the B717 was on short final, the local controller instructed the ERJ145 pilot to line up and wait on runway 4R. After the B717 crossed runway 4R, the local controller cleared the ERJ145 for takeoff. At that time, the B737 was about three miles from the runway 29 threshold. The ERJ145 did not actually begin its takeoff roll until the B737 was about 1 mile from the runway 29 threshold. The local controller recognized that the spacing was insufficient and instructed the B737 to go around. He provided traffic advisories to both the B737 and the ERJ145 pilots and instructed the ERJ145 pilot to maintain visual separation from the B737. The ERJ145 pilot responded that he was going to keep the aircraft's nose down. The B737 overflew the ERJ145 at the intersection of runways 29/4R.

O Boeing 737 contatou a torre de Newark para [efetuar] a aproximação Visual BRIDGE para a pista 29. O controlador local instruiu o piloto a seguir um Boeing 717 em frente e autorizou o piloto pousar na pista 29. Quando o Boeing 717 estava na curta [aproximação] final, o controlador local instruiu o piloto ERJ145 a alinhar a aeronave e esperar na pista 4 da Direita. Após o Boeing 717 ter cruzado [voando sobre]  a pista 4R, o controlador local autorizou o ERJ145 para a decolagem. Naquela instante, o Boeing 737 foi cerca de três milhas [náuticas] da cabeceira da pista 29. A aeronave ERJ145 na realidade não começou sua corrida de decolagem até quando o Boeing 737 estava cerca de 1852 metros da cabeceira da  pista 29. O controlador local reconheceu que o espaçamento era insuficiente e instruiu o Boeing 737 a iniciar arremetida. Ele forneceu alertas de tráfego para ambos pilotos, do B737 e do ERJ145, e instruiu o piloto do ERJ145 para manter a separação visual do B737. O piloto do ERJ145 respondeu que ele iria manter o nariz da aeronave para baixo. O B737 sobrevoou o ERJ145 no cruzamento das pistas 29 e 4R.

According to recorded Federal Aviation Administration radar data, the closest lateral and vertical proximity was approximately 0.03 miles and 400 feet.

De acordo com dados de radar gravados, na agência de Administração Federal de Aviação, a proximidade mais perto lateral e vertical foi de aproximadamente 55 metros e 121 metros, [respectivamente].

 

 

 

 

 

Double Collision Risks

ATC Audio-Video

Approach Collision Risks http://youtu.be/sSZq3p18d1o

UPDATED

AUG 7, 2012

FAA
MEMORANDUM

Date: AUG 07, 2012

This incident should not have happened.
Investigation reconfirmed that at no point were the aircraft on a head-to-head course and the aircraft remained at different altitudes.
Initial information indicated that the miscommunication occurred when the TRACON and Tower were turning the flow of traffic at the airport due to bad weather developing south of the airport.
As the investigation has continued, it has concluded that management's intention at the TRACON was initially only to turn the direction of a series of arrivals.
Only after the loss of separation events, was the flow of traffic at the airport turned completely.

Separately, the FAA interviewed the pilot of inbound Republic 3329  who had reported LOW FUEL to the Tower and found that the aircraft did have adequate fuel, and, in fact, upon landing had more fuel than the FAA regulations require as a reserve.
The procedure used for this series of arrival involved opposite direction operations.

These operations occur when an arrival or a departure is cleared to use a runway end that is opposite from the established flow of the airport. These procedures are used at DCA and at airports around the country in a variety of situations including noise mitigation and cargo operations.

While this procedure encompasses many of the same elements as turning the flow of an airport, there is no standard protocol in place, and FAA believe this contributed to the miscommunication.

FAA has initiated a temporary suspension on opposite direction operations at commercial airports until detailed procedures can be developed, trained and implemented. Although most air traffic facilities have detailed procedures for runway changeoperations, procedures for opposite direction arrivals and departures are not standard.

Air traffic controllers cleared two planes to take off on one runway while a third plane was on approach toward them and had been cleared to land on the same runway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The reason apparently was a “miscommunication” with air traffic controllers, the F.A.A. said.

Controladores de tráfego aéreo autorizaram dois aviões decolarem numa pista enquanto um terceiro avião estava em aproximação em direção a eles e tinha sido liberado para pouso na mesma pista, de acordo com a FAA. A razão aparentemente foi uma  “comunicação errônea”  com controladores de tráfego aéreo, disse o FAA.

The episode happened at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, and involved three US Airways regional jets carrying a total of 192 passengers and crew members. No one was hurt.
O episódio aconteceu por volta das 2 horas da tarde. Terça-feira, e envolveu três jatos regionais da US Airways carregando um total de 192 passageiros e membros de trupulação. Ninguém foi ferido.

The first plane taking off came within 0.82 miles of the arriving plane and the second one came within 2.7 miles, according to Michael Huerta, the F.A.A.’s acting administrator. The two departing planes and the incoming jet were 800 feet above or below one another, he said.

O primeiro avião decolando aproximou-se dentro de 1,5 Km do avião chegando e o segundo avião aproximou-se dentro de 5 Km, de acordo com Michael Huerta, o administrador da FAA. Os dois aviões partindo e o jato chegando estiveram 800 pés acima ou abaixo um dos outros, ele disse.

The episode occurred after an F.A.A. regional center changed runway flows because of bad weather developing south of the airport, which is in Arlington, Va., across the Potomac from Washington. Planes were directed to land to the north of the runway instead of to the south.

O episódio ocorreu após um Centro [de Controle de Tráfego Aéreo] regional da FAA ter mudado o fluxo de pista por causa de mau tempo em desenvolvimento ao Sul do aeroporto, o qual está em Alington, Virginia, em frente ao [rio] Potomac em Washington. Os aviões estavam direcionados para pouso na pista 01 em vez da pista 19.