FAA Sounds Alarm After 7 Near-Collisions Between Passenger Planes

A string of near collisions by commercial airplanes this year prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a safety alert last week, which advised officials to increase vigilance to avoid future incidents. Since January, commercial jets have had near misses on runways in California, Maryland, New York, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. "I think I speak for all of us, and certainly the traveling public, when I say these events are concerning," FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen said. "They are not what we have come to expect during a time of unprecedented safety in the U.S. air transportation system."  

The FAA held a safety summit meeting last week among airlines, airports, and industry workers to address the string of incidents. The near misses do "not reflect an increase in incidents and occurrences, [but] the potential severity of these events is concerning," the safety notice said. Here are seven near misses that raised alarm bells among aviation regulators.