A Mesa Airlines plane was forced to abruptly halt a landing at California's Hollywood Burbank Airport on Wednesday to avoid a collision. The incident is yet another terrifying situation amidst ongoing travel dramas in 2023.
An air traffic controller had cleared a SkyWest Airlines Embraer E175 to take off from Runway 33 ahead of them, according to preliminary information obtained by NBC News. The plane, a Mesa Bombardier CRJ900, was a mere 1.3 miles from the runway, according to reports.
Don’t Miss: Thousands of Flights in the U.S. Are Being Cancelled. Here’s Why
Terrifying Scenes As Thousands of Flights Are Cancelled or Delayed
The crew of Mesa Airlines (MESA) Flight 5826 was set to land at the Burbank, airport just before 7 p.m., when an air traffic controller cleared the other plane to depart ahead of them, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the incident.
The Mesa pilot was able to stop the landing, alter course and initiate a climb out. This prompted an automated alert to sound on the flight deck of the Mesa aircraft, which instructed the Mesa crew to turn to a course to prevent collision.
This incident is one of many near miss situations the FAA is currently investigating. Earlier this month, an air traffic controller may have double-booked a runway at a Texas airport, which could have potentially caused collision, had it not been averted, according to officials.
