United Plane Makes Near-Miss Mid-Air Collision: Pilot Error at SFO
A United Airlines flight nearly collided with a SkyWest flight on May 13th at San Francisco International Airport due to an unauthorized left turn by the United aircraft during takeoff from a parallel runway. The close call, resulting in a minimal lateral and vertical separation of 1950 and 275 feet respectively, prompted an evasive maneuver by the SkyWest crew. The FAA is investigating the incident, focusing on the United crew’s actions leading up to the unauthorized turn. Both airlines are cooperating with the investigation.
John Q. Hosedrinker