Pilot narrowly averts mid-air plane crash at airport like DC’s

A near-miss between a Ryanair Boeing 737 and a Cessna training aircraft at an airport in 2024 has prompted an official investigation by Ireland’s Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) into the causes of the incident.

Newsweek has contacted the AAIU for comment via email.

The Context

News of the investigation into the incident at Cork Airport follows recent concerns in the aviation industry regarding close calls on runways and mid-air near-misses.

On Wednesday a passenger jet collided with an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2009, with 67 people losing their lives.

What To Know

The incident in Ireland, which occurred at the height of the summer holiday season in July, saw the two planes come dangerously close to colliding after both were cleared for takeoff on intersecting runways.

A Ryanair Boeing 737 flight departing Cork for Manchester, England, was cleared for takeoff just two minutes after a Cessna 172 training plane from Waterford in Ireland had received clearance for a “touch-and-go” maneuver (to land briefly and take off again without stopping).

As the Ryanair jet began rolling down the runway, air traffic control recognized the potential risk and issued an instruction for the plane to abort its takeoff. However, the flight crew reportedly did not receive or acknowledge the directive. In response, controllers ordered the Cessna to turn sharply to the right, a maneuver that ultimately prevented a collision.

Reports say both aircraft were able to continue their respective flights without further incident.

Though they did not collide, at one point the two aircraft were less than 100 feet apart, according to a report from air traffic management providers cited by multiple outlets.

What Are Intersecting Runways

Intersecting runways are two or more runways that cross each other at some point. They can intersect at any angle and are commonly found at airports with limited space or where wind patterns vary significantly, requiring different runway orientations for safe aircraft operations.

The runways meet at an intersection, sometimes forming a rough “X” or “T” shape and require precise air traffic control coordination to prevent problems.

The intersecting runways at Cork are also a feature at Reagan National Airport, where the jet in last week’s deadly collision was coming in to land.

The complexities involved with intersecting runways are well documented and in recent years the Federal Aviation Administration has taken steps to reduce potential risks.

What People Are Saying

Aviation attorney and former pilot Jim Brauchle told the ‘New York Post’ of the spacing between the jet and helicopter in Washington: “You’ve got intersecting routes that are apparently de-conflicted by, you know, only several hundred feet — which is not a lot of room for a margin of error.”

What Happens Next

The AAIU’s investigation into the incident in Ireland is ongoing, as are investigations into the collision in Washington, D.C.

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