• Font Size    
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Plane Was On Runway For A Minute Before Close Call

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +    Comments
Jan 12, 2007 2:19 pm US/Mountain

Plane Was On Runway For A Minute Before Close Call

DENVER (AP) ― A small plane was taxiing on an active runway for more than a minute before a near-collision with a Frontier Airlines passenger jet that was about to land, federal aviation investigators said.

A Frontier Airbus A319 came within 50 feet of the Key Lime Air cargo turboprop on Jan. 5, but a collision was averted when the Frontier crew aborted the landing.

Key Lime officials have said runway markings were obscured by snow. Airport officials have said signs and guard lights were clearly visible.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday said air traffic controllers lost track of the Key Lime plane for a time. A controller asked the pilot to identify his location about a minute after the plane entered the runway, the report said.

At that moment, the pilot "noticed that he was on a runway," the report said.

Seven seconds later, alerts in the control tower warned that the Frontier plane was within seconds of landing on the runway. The tower alerted the Frontier crew, which aborted the landing, the report said.

Initial reports by the NTSB had said the Frontier crew spotted the Key Lime plane on the runway and pulled up.

(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Add Comment

here. here. Need a log in? Register here
  •  * Will not be displayed with comment
  •  * e.g. (http://www.mywebsite.com)
  •  
  • Click here to refresh with new letters

Show Comments (0)

Close Window Login


Close Window Flag Comment


loading...

© MMIX, CBS Television Stations Inc. All Rights Reserved.