Close Encounter Involving 3 Planes at San Francisco Airport

A United Airlines plane taxis on the runway at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco on Oct. 19, 2021. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Two aircraft aborted their landings at the San Francisco International Airport in California on May 19 after sighting another plane on the runway—part of a string of dangerous aircraft safety events occurring recently.

The incident involved a United flight and an Alaska Airlines flight aborting their landings. The planes were cleared to land on two different runways. However, a Southwest flight moved across these two runways, forcing both pilots to abort the landing and pull up. Both planes circled around for some time before landing.

The potentially dangerous incident prompted the air traffic controller to reprimand the Southwest pilot, saying “You shouldn’t be on the runway,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which first reported the story.

In a statement to the outlet, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that neither of the two close calls amounted to a “runway incursion.” The agency “looked into the incident and determined the appropriate steps were taken to ensure a safe operation.”

Back in 2017, a near-disaster almost happened at the San Francisco airport when pilots of an Air Canada jet mistakenly attempted to land on a taxiway and almost landed atop four other planes that were waiting to take off. The Air Canada plane missed one of the passenger aircraft by just 14 feet before it aborted the landing and averted a tragedy.

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet lands as an Alaska Air Boeing 737 jet prepares to take off at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on April 5, 2011. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The incident at the San Francisco Airport comes after the FAA reported six serious runway incursions at various airports across the country in the first three months of the year. In March, the agency held a safety summit with government leaders, experts, and senior officials to discuss safety management issues, Simple Flying reported.

Recently, the FAA announced over $100 million to 12 American airports to help reduce incidents of runway incursions. The funds will be used to reconfigure confusing taxiways, install airfield lighting, and construct new taxiways.

“Some airfields have complex layouts that can create confusion for pilots and other airport users. This funding will reconfigure complex taxiway and runway intersections to help prevent incursions and enhance the safety of the National Airspace System,” Shannetta R. Griffin, FAA associate administrator, said in a May 22 statement.

Latest Near-Miss Incident

The San Francisco airport incident began to unfold when United Flight 277 was cleared to land on the airport’s Runway 28 Left, according to flight data and air traffic control audio and video reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle.

However, after the captain of United Flight 277 saw Southwest Flight 1179 approaching Runway 28 Left, he broadcast that he was “going around.” At the time, the plane had descended to about 225 feet and was roughly a mile away from the start of the runway and the Southwest aircraft.

United Flight 277 increased its altitude and aborted the landing. The plane then climbed to 800 feet and flew over the beginning of Runway 28 Left.

Just a few seconds after United Flight 277 aborted the landing, Southwest Flight 1179 taxied onto Runway 28 Right, which runs parallel to Runway 28 Left with 750 feet between the two.

Ross Aimer, an aviation consultant, reviewed the audio record and told the San Francisco Chronicle that it seemed the Southwest pilot did not hear the air traffic controller’s clearance for departure from Runway 28 Right as the transmission apparently got blocked.

The blockage happened because two pilots hit their mic buttons at the same time, thus obscuring the full instructions from the controller, he said.

Seeing that Southwest Flight 1179 crossed from Runway 28 Left to Runway 28 Right, the air traffic controller contacted the pilot of the craft and asked whether the flight was departing. “We never got that clearance,” the pilot said, to which the controller replied, “OK, so you shouldn’t be on the runway.”

The Southwest pilot said that the “last plans we got were to line up and wait.” The controller replied, “I don’t need an argument on frequency.” Southwest Flight 1179 was told to exit Runway 28 Right onto a taxiway as Alaska Airlines Flight 553 was closing in and cleared to land on the runway.

However, seeing that the Southwest plane was too close, the Alaska Airlines plane, which had dropped to about 550 feet, also aborted its landing.

Aimer said that the incident needs to be investigated.

“If the United pilot had not gone around, this could’ve been disastrous. Somebody screwed up. What saved the day was the United pilot,” he said.