New York, May 20 - On May 6, 2025, a near-catastrophic incident unfolded at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, one of the busiest and most congested airports in the United States, when a Republic Airways jet was forced to abort its takeoff to avoid a collision with a United Airlines plane still taxiing on the same runway. The incident, which occurred around 12:30 AM, involved an American Eagle flight, operated by Republic Airways as flight AA4736, an Embraer E175 scheduled to depart for Buffalo, New York, and United Airlines flight UA2657, a Boeing 737-800 that had just arrived from Houston and was taxiing to its gate. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are now investigating the close call, which has raised serious concerns about air traffic control procedures and the effectiveness of existing safety technologies at the airport.
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The sequence of events began when the LaGuardia tower controller instructed the United Airlines jet to hold short of runway 13, as it was using the runway to taxi toward its gate. Shortly afterward, the controller directed the United plane to proceed down runway 13, exit at a designated taxiway, and contact ground control. Meanwhile, the American Eagle jet, already delayed by approximately three hours, was cleared to line up and wait on the same runway in preparation for takeoff. However, the United jet missed its assigned taxiway exit, prompting the ground controller, operating on a different radio frequency, to issue new instructions for an alternate exit. Critically, while the United plane was still on the runway, the tower controller cleared the American Eagle jet for takeoff, and the aircraft began its roll. An automated alert system detected the potential collision, but the situation was complicated by a Spirit Airlines pilot transmitting on the same frequency, momentarily blocking communication. The tower controller quickly issued a command to cancel the takeoff clearance, and the Republic Airways jet, which had reached speeds exceeding 100 knots, came to an abrupt stop, averting disaster.
LaGuardia Airport is equipped with the FAA’s advanced Airport Surface Detection System-Model X (ASDS-X), designed to track aircraft and vehicles on the ground and prevent runway incursions. Despite this technology, one of only 35 such systems installed at U.S. airports, the incident occurred, highlighting potential gaps in coordination and communication. The tower controller later apologized, stating, “Sorry, I thought United had cleared well before that,” underscoring a critical misjudgment. The FAA has noted that runway incursions remain a persistent issue, with approximately 30 incidents per million takeoffs and landings over the past decade, though the most severe cases have decreased to seven in 2024. LaGuardia’s constrained layout, with limited taxiway space, exacerbates the complexity of ground operations, placing significant pressure on air traffic controllers.
In response, the FAA is exploring additional safety measures, including the installation of a new warning system at LaGuardia to provide direct alerts to pilots about runway traffic, potentially saving critical seconds. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has proposed a multi-billion-dollar overhaul of the nation’s aging air traffic control infrastructure, which could expand advanced systems to more airports, though such plans require Congressional approval. The incident evokes memories of the 1977 Tenerife disaster, where a runway collision between two Boeing 747s killed 583 people, serving as a stark reminder of the stakes involved. Both airlines have deferred comment to the FAA, and investigations are ongoing to determine the precise failures that led to this near miss. For now, the incident underscores the need for enhanced vigilance and technological improvements to ensure the safety of millions of passengers navigating the skies.