Two jets landing on perpendicular runways at New York’s Kennedy Airport on Sunday afternoon were never in danger of colliding, the FAA said on Tuesday, contradicting an assertion by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association that both aircraft barely escaped a midair. “It was a non-event,” FAA spokesman Jim Peters told The Associated Press, after reviewing the radar data. “There was no danger under the conditions that took place Sunday.” NATCA spokesman Doug Church told AVweb that a 747 cargo flight was landing on 13L when the crew initiated a go-around. At the same time, an Embraer 135, landing on perpendicular runway 22L, also went around. The two airplanes barely missed each other, Church said. “It was very, very close … Controllers at JFK do not believe simultaneous approaches to perpendicular runways — in effect putting planes headed towards one another — is safe.” Peters told the AP that landing on perpendicular runways is not a problem.
The FAA will talk to the controller involved, Peters said. The two runways at JFK do not intersect. Click here for an airport diagram.
