Near Collision Rattles Newark Liberty

Jan 18, 2008 11:48 am US/Eastern
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more: http://wcbstv.com/local/newark.airport.continental.2.632715.html

Near Collision Rattles Newark Liberty
Continental Flights Came Within 600 Feet On Wednesday

Tamsen Fadal NEWARK (CBS) ― There was another near mid-air collision at Newark Liberty Airport Wednesday, forcing the FAA to call an emergency meeting on the matter.

For the second time in two months two planes nearly hit each other in the sky. This morning officials are trying to determine what is happening and the FAA will take measures to ensure against these incidents happening again.

For hundreds of passengers on board Continental Flight 536 from Phoenix and Continental Express Flight 26-14 from Halifax, it was a close call and a frightening afternoon. As the planes came in for landings on Wednesday, the space between them became very narrow - to the point that there was only 600 feet between the two.

"When you have two massive planes, each with hundreds of people and tons of jet fuel and flying at hundreds of miles an hour and coming within 600 feet of each other, that's a big deal," Sen. Charles Schumer said.

Then again maybe not.

Any which way, it's a problem in Newark, not Green Bay. Around here the real challenge is finding batteries for the electric socks. It's starting to get toe-coolingly cold here.

It landed without incident. But while taxiing toward the assigned gate, the plane's brakes suddenly slammed on and jolted everyone. A minute later, the pilot (with strained politeness) explained that there was ALREADY a plane parked at the assigned gate. No doubt a lot of yelling and paperwork followed...

:headbang:
rocknation