The heart-stopping footage, taken from a police dash camera, showed the two aircraft flying alarmingly close — just 725 feet apart at their nearest point, the CBS News reported.
The incident occurred at around 11.50 am EDT on Monday, as two regional jets navigated through an apparent traffic control blunder at Syracuse Hancock International Airport.
American Eagle Flight 5511, a Bombardier CRJ-700 jet operated by PSA Airlines, had been cleared to land just as Delta Connection 5421, another CRJ-700 operated by Endeavor Air, was given the go-ahead to take off from the same runway.
Air Traffic Control (ATC) audio reveals the moment of confusion.
The controller initially granted landing clearance to the American Eagle flight, but then, shockingly, gave Delta Connection 5421 the green light to take off from the same runway. The tension escalated when the American pilot urgently asked, “Wait, who’s cleared to take off on 28?”
Realizing the mistake, ATC frantically instructed the American pilot to abort the landing and “go around.” Following this command, the American jet ascended, but its flight path took it directly over the runway from which the Delta flight was taking off.
For a chilling moment, the two planes were on a collision course, passing within 725 feet of each other.
The dash camera footage captured this nerve-wracking encounter, making it appear as though the planes were seconds away from disaster.
As the American flight climbed to about 1,825 feet, it crossed paths with the Delta jet, which was also ascending. At one point, the planes were only 675 feet apart vertically and just 425 feet horizontally, a terrifyingly close call.
Delta confirmed that Flight 5421, bound for New York City, was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members. American Airlines reported that Flight 5511, en route from Washington, DC, had 75 passengers and four crew members on board.
Miraculously, no injuries occurred.
The FAA has launched an investigation to determine what went wrong.
Delta said, “Endeavor Air and Delta will work with aviation authorities as we always do in our shared commitment to safety above all else.” American Airlines also confirmed the incident, deferring further comments to the FAA’s ongoing probe.