Delta Air Lines planes enter collision course at US airport

A Delta jet aborted landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta and passed close to another company aircraft that had just taken off. According to CNN, anti-collision alerts sounded in both cabins, according to audio obtained from air traffic control.

Flight 1568, which left Pittsburgh, was approaching landing late Monday night after diverting to Chattanooga for a few hours because of bad weather. Upon noticing an aircraft still on the runway, the pilot questioned the tower and then informed that he would make the go-around and circle again to try to land again.

Meanwhile, Flight 2472 had just taken off from a parallel runway and was instructed to turn right and climb to 4,000 feet. The same guidance was given to Flight 1568 during the go-around, which placed both aircraft on the same trajectory.

The resolution warnings, which indicate the risk of collision and call for evasive maneuvers, sounded almost immediately on both planes. The controller then directed the aircraft to move away from each other.

At the closest point, the planes were separated by approximately 500 meters horizontally and approximately 100 meters difference in altitude. The estimate is based on flight tracking data from Flightradar24 cited by CNN.

Delta told the American press that the crew followed expected procedures. "During the go-around, the crew maneuvered in accordance with established procedures, maintaining the safe operation," the company said in a statement.

The company also said it trains teams for unusual situations. "Our crews train extensively to deal with unusual scenarios like this," he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it will investigate the case. The investigation must analyze the sequence of instructions given by air traffic control and the maneuvers performed by the aircraft.