FAA investigating after Delta and United planes flew too close in Phoenix
A Delta Air Lines plane and a United Airlines aircraft raised alarms when they flew too close to each other while flying into Phoenix on Saturday.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the “loss of required separation” incident.
Flight crews on United flight 1724 and Delta flight 1070 each received onboard alerts that the other plane was too close around 11 a.m. on Jan. 11, and both planes landed safely, according to the FAA.
The United flight on a Boeing 737-900 was flying from San Francisco into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The flight on Atlanta-based Delta was on an Airbus A330-300 that was flying from Detroit into Phoenix when the incident occurred.
Delta said flight crews “extensively train to handle uncommon scenarios such as this,” noting that its aircraft have technology to warn pilots of potential conflicts with other planes.
The pilots “followed the resolution advisory as directed,” Delta said in a written statement.
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As business team lead, Kelly Yamanouchi edits and writes business stories. She graduated from Harvard and has a master's degree from Northwestern.
