FAA investigating close call at Westchester airport

WESTCHESTER (WABC) -- Yet another close call at an area airport is under investigation Thursday after two planes nearly collided as one was taking off and the other was coming in for a landing.

The FAA says one air traffic controller cleared both the arriving and departing planes.

Officials at Westchester County Airport were never informed of Sunday's near crash due to a control tower mistake. Instead, they found out by chance, from one of the pilots involved.

It was close to 7:30 p.m. when the controller accidentally sent the two small planes on a near collision course, with one plane cleared to take off just as the other was cleared to land.

Both planes were about to roll down two runways and cross each other, when radio transmissions reveal that the landing pilot realized what was about to happen. When he questioned the landing, the controller shouted for him to go around and the pilot aborted the landing. Authorities say the two planes came within just 200 feet of each other.

The FAA says it is prepared to take corrective action if needed.

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