ATLANTA — As we learn more about the crash between an American Airlines jet and a Blackhawk helicopter, we’re also looking at safety at the world’s busiest airport Hartsfield-Jackson International.
Right now there’s a Federal Aviation Administration audit for near collisions or collisions at Atlanta’s airport and several others.
The audit follows an incident in September where two jets clipped each other on the runway at Hartsfield-Jackson.
No one was hurt but it was enough to spark an audit. Now with the tragedy in DC, all eyes are on aviation safety.
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The cause of the deadly collision in Washington, DC is still unknown, but former military pilot Bryce Kammeyer said aviation crews undergo extensive training.
“All aircrew in the military, especially helicopters, are used to looking outside, maintaining that situational awareness and having a good visual picture of where they’re flying,” Kammeyer told Channel 2’s Audrey Washington.
But collisions and near collisions -- otherwise known as incursions -- are shockingly more common than most people know.
“Unfortunately, in my time, I’ve had this occur with two wars and training accidents,” Kammeyer said.
The FAA announced an audit of 45 busy airports, including Atlanta’s. It showed in 2023, there were 14 incursions in that year at Atlanta’s airport. There were more than 360 incursions nationwide.
The FAA said overall incursions are mostly down, but it also said more work to identify potential gaps in procedures is vital for everyone’s safety.
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