Two planes narrowly avoided a mid-air collision while approaching Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona, with just 1,200 feet of horizontal distance between them—far less than the required five miles.
The incident occurred on January 11 at around 11:00 a.m. and involved a United Airlines flight from San Francisco carrying 245 passengers and a Delta flight from Detroit with 123 passengers, according to preliminary data.
Local media, citing FlightRadar24, reported that the planes were separated by only 425 feet vertically, a stark deviation from safety standards. Justin Giddens, who witnessed the event, described the moment as “immediate panic mode,” noting how unnervingly close the planes appeared.
United Airlines stated their pilots promptly adjusted altitude after receiving an alert, while Delta assured that their crew is trained for rare situations like this. Both flights landed safely without injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the “loss of required separation” and issued corrective instructions to air traffic control.
