According to a report by the New York Times, confidential reports written by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have revealed that around 40 plane crashes were narrowly avoided in the United States last July only. Even more concerning, a NASA database also uncovered by the report suggests that nearly 300 incidents of this nature have been reported in the past year. Most of these incidents occurred near or at airports and involved potential collisions.
At the beginning of last July, an American Airlines plane launched at 260 km / h to take off grazed a device from another company on the runway of San Francisco airport. A little later in the day, a similar incident occurred during a German airliner's flight. In its report, the FAA explains that the machines were "extremely close."
Is the air decaying in the United States?
Also, according to the New York Times, a week earlier, in New Orleans, a Southwest Airlines pilot was forced to abort his landing not to hit another plane taking off. The collision was averted within "seconds". Admittedly, the last fatal accident in the United States occurred in February 2009, killing 49 people. But the proliferation of accidents in recent years remains worrying.
As per the report by AFP, which cites the Association of Regional Airlines (RAA), the American aviation industry is anticipated to face a shortage of 17,000 jobs in 2032, this situation will likely arise due to the high number of retirements and the elimination of positions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The American aviation is currently concerning current situation in American aviation is concerning due to a shortage of staff and a decline in infrastructure. This combination creates a potentially dangerous scenario as most US airports lack warning systems to prevent runway collisions. The Biden administration requested funds to recruit and train additional air traffic controllers to address this issue.