FAA Investigates Separate JFK Near Miss Between Republic And Air Canada Jets
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a near miss at JFK between Republic Airways Flight 4464 and Air Canada Express Flight 8554. The incident unfolded on parallel approaches when Republic 4464 missed its intended path and pilots received a resolution advisory, prompting a go-around. FAA officials say both crews responded to onboard collision warnings and the flights landed or diverted safely with no reported injuries. The agency opened a formal inquiry and said the JFK event is separate from an ongoing probe of a recent Nashville near miss.
Separately, investigators have been probing a Nashville close call involving Southwest Flights 507 and 1152 after air traffic control instructed one jet into the other's path during a go-around. Flight data and FlightRadar24 estimates suggest the planes came as close as roughly 500 feet vertically, a separation that could meet the definition of a near midair collision. The FAA acknowledged controller instructions placed Flight 507 in the other plane's path, and Southwest praised crew professionalism while saying pilots followed ATC orders and onboard traffic alerts. Aviation analyst Robert Sumwalt noted traffic collision avoidance systems act as a last line of defense, and CBS social posts reiterated the timeline while emphasizing those automated warnings.
Early coverage concentrated on the Nashville incident, focusing on controller instructions, pilot go-arounds, and the roughly 500-foot separation. Later reports from Fox News and The New York Times linked a separate JFK near miss to the Nashville case. That framing presented the events as part of a broader pattern of recent close calls and sharpened public and regulatory scrutiny of air traffic safety.
📌 Key Facts
- The FAA has opened separate investigations into two recent near-miss incidents: one near Nashville involving two Southwest aircraft and a second at John F. Kennedy International Airport involving Republic Airways (operating as American Airlines) and Air Canada Express flights.
- Nashville incident: about 5:30 p.m. local on Saturday, Southwest Flight 507 from Myrtle Beach executed a precautionary go-around due to gusty winds and was instructed by air traffic control to turn right, which placed it in the path of departing Southwest Flight 1152 to Knoxville from a parallel runway.
- Preliminary flight data and public tracking (FlightRadar24) indicate the Nashville aircraft may have come as close as roughly 500 feet vertically as Flight 1152 passed over Flight 507; the FAA acknowledged that ATC instructions put Flight 507 into the other airplane’s path.
- In the Nashville event, both flight crews responded to onboard traffic-alert/collision-avoidance systems (TCAS/traffic alerts), maneuvered to avoid a potential midair conflict, and Southwest issued a statement praising crew professionalism and emphasizing safety.
- JFK incident: Republic Airways Flight 4464 (operating as American Airlines 4464) and Air Canada Express Flight 8554 were on parallel approaches when Republic missed its intended approach path, flew too close to the Air Canada flight, and executed a go-around after receiving a resolution advisory; Air Canada reported receiving a traffic warning and ATC direction and landed safely.
- The FAA says crews in the JFK event responded to onboard collision warnings and has opened a formal inquiry into that near miss, which officials and outlets note comes amid a string of recent close calls including the Nashville event.
- Reporting (including the New York Times) cites flight recordings, radar tracks and runway/approach configuration details being reviewed to clarify vectors, altitude changes, which systems issued alerts, and the precise separation distances under investigation.
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Details of a distinct near miss between two passenger jets at JFK Airport that triggered a new FAA investigation, separate from the Nashville Southwest incident.
- Fresh specifics on the JFK event timeline, runway/approach configuration, and separation distances being examined by investigators.
- Confirmation that the FAA has opened a formal inquiry into this particular JFK near-collision, adding to earlier concerns about a pattern of close calls.
- Reports a new near miss at John F. Kennedy International Airport involving Republic Airways Flight 4464 (operating as American Airlines 4464) and Air Canada Express Flight 8554 on parallel approaches.
- FAA says Republic 4464 missed its intended approach path, flew too close to Air Canada 8554, and executed a go-around after receiving a resolution advisory, with both flights responding to onboard collision warnings.
- Airlines provide on-record statements: Republic describes complying with a resolution advisory and executing a go-around, while Air Canada says its crew received a traffic warning and ATC direction and that the flight landed safely.
- Fox frames the JFK incident explicitly as part of a "string of close calls" following the recent Southwest near miss near Nashville that is already under FAA investigation.
- Confirms the incident timeline and controller instructions that placed the planes on converging paths during the go-around and departure.
- Provides additional narrative detail from flight recordings and radar tracks about the sequence of vectors and altitude changes.
- Includes fresh or more precise statements from the FAA and possibly from Southwest about the scope of the safety investigation.
- Offers refined estimates or confirmation of the closest separation between the aircraft and clarifies which systems (like TCAS) issued alerts.
- CBS piece reinforces that an FAA investigation is underway into the Nashville near miss.
- It restates that FAA officials say air traffic control instructions put one Southwest flight into the path of another.
- No materially new numbers, timelines, or procedural details are added beyond confirming the close-call framing.
- Confirms the incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. local time on Saturday near Nashville International Airport.
- Details that Southwest Flight 507 from Myrtle Beach executed a go-around due to gusty winds and was instructed to turn right.
- Identifies the departing aircraft as Southwest Flight 1152 to Knoxville taking off from a parallel runway.
- Reports preliminary flight data indicating roughly 500 feet of vertical separation as Flight 1152 passed over Flight 507.
- Includes FAA statement explicitly acknowledging that air traffic control instructions put Flight 507 in the path of another airplane.
- Provides Southwest's formal statement praising crew professionalism and emphasizing customer and employee safety.
- Quotes aviation safety analyst Robert Sumwalt explaining the role of the Traffic Collision Avoidance System as a last line of defense.
- FAA says Southwest Flight 507, during a go-around, received air traffic control instructions that put it in the path of departing Southwest Flight 1152 from a parallel runway.
- Both flight crews responded to onboard traffic-alert systems and maneuvered to avoid a potential midair conflict.
- Southwest states the go-around was precautionary due to gusty winds and that pilots complied with both ATC instructions and the traffic alert.
- FlightRadar24 data cited in the report suggests the aircraft may have come as close as about 500 feet apart vertically, potentially fitting the official definition of a near midair collision.