Air traffic control audio revealed the tense moment two planes nearly collided while approaching the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday afternoon.
Republic Airways Flight 4464 deviated from its “intended approach path” and dangerously veered on a collision course with Jazz Aviation Flight 554 as it prepared to land just after 2:30 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Flightradar24 data captured the flights gliding within 350 feet of each other — spurring panicked air traffic controllers to order the pilots to correct course “immediately.”
“You are flying through the approach course of runway 31 left. Correct immediately,” a controller warned the Republic pilots, according to air traffic control audio obtained by ABC News.
“Jazz 554 climb and maintain 3,000 (feet),” another controller added. “The traffic on your left is overshooting the parallel.”
Both flight crews also responded to onboard alerts, effectively averting a midair disaster, the FAA said.
The blaring alarms could be heard in the background of the cockpit audio.
Republic Airways, which was operating the service for American Airlines, said the crew “received a resolution advisory” — an anti-collision announcement dispatched by the aircraft’s Traffic Collision Avoidance System.
The warning is considered the most serious pilots can receive and typically orders them to either climb or descend to avoid a rapidly approaching threat.
Jazz Aviation, the regional airline flying for Air Canada, added that the crew received a “traffic warning notification and resolution” and speedy directions from air traffic controllers.
Both flights landed safely at JFK just before 3 p.m.
The FAA will investigate the incident, which comes after a series of near-disasters at US airports.
Just days earlier, two Southwest Airlines planes narrowly avoided a midair collision after air traffic control at Nashville Airport put them in each other’s paths.
Last week, an American Airlines pilot slammed “on the brakes” to avoid T-boning a crossing truck at Charlotte’s airport.
