The crew of American Airlines Flight 28 asked to speak to air traffic controllers after a near-collision at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York on Nov. 10. As illustrated in ATC recordings posted on YouTube at the You Can See ATC channel, their Airbus A321, on approach to JFK on a flight from Los Angeles, was cleared for the approach to Runway 22 Left at the same time a VFR Tradewind Aviation Pilatus PC12 was cleared for its visual approach to Runway 22 Right.
But the Pilatus, instead, lined up for Runway 22L, approaching the airport directly above the Airbus, where the crew of the low-wing Pilatus could have had difficulty spotting the airliner underneath them. Controllers were clear in their transmissions to both aircraft, several times pointing out that the two aircraft were supposed to be flying parallel approaches. When the controller issued vectors to the Pilatus crew to “intercept the localizer to Runway 22R,” the crew’s readback included “… intercept the localizer.”
As the approaches unfolded, the American crew asked controllers, “Where’s this Pilatus going?” to which ATC responded that the Pilatus was “landing parallel.” “He’s right above us,” was the response from American 28.
Shortly thereafter, ATC instructed the Pilatus crew to break off its approach, maintain 2,500 feet, and turn to a 180 heading, adding, “It appears you’ve joined 22L.” The Pilatus crew acknowledged the instruction and turned southeasterly. The American Airbus continued its approach and landed safely, as did the Pilatus after rejoining the approach queue.
Once on ground frequency, the American crew asked for a phone number for the ATC facility responsible for vectoring the Pilatus, saying, “Whoever gave the Pilatus clearance to land, we need to talk to whoever that was.”
The transcript of the subsequent phone conversation is not available.
