They were flying to crash. Traffic control panicked
6:29 PM EDT, October 22, 2023, updated: 2:58 AM EDT, October 23, 2023
Two airplanes almost collided near Portland International Airport. A recording from the traffic control appeared on the Internet.
A video has appeared on YouTube showing the flight path of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 and a SkyWest airline plane.
During an attempt to land at Portland International Airport, the pilot of Alaska Airlines Flight 1299 had to go around due to wind and turned towards SkyWest Airlines Flight 3978, which was just taking off from the airport. Air traffic control instructed the Alaska Airlines pilot to change direction.
In the video, we hear air traffic control employees. One of them repeatedly insisted that Alaska Airlines change course to avoid a collision. The controller's voice grew increasingly panicked as the planes drew closer to each other.
"The safety was not compromised."
Alaska Airlines confirmed on Friday that an incident had occurred. It was stated that the situation is being analyzed, and the carrier's priority is the safety of passengers and employees.
- The crew of flight 1299 followed the cockpit instructions and immediately responded, increasing the distance from the other plane - said the spokesperson for the airline, Oregon Live.
NEAR MID-AIR COLLISION of Alaska and Skywest at Portland International
- The safety of the flight was never in jeopardy - SkyWest representatives stated in a separate statement.
The incident happened at a time when there was a storm warning for most of the state.
