The air traffic controller watching the skies over Miami maintained incredible cool as near disaster almost occurred on final approach to runways 9 and 8-L.
You can hear the air traffic controller seizing control of the situation on an audio recording of the event released by the FAA at the request of CBS4 Investigates.
“Argentina 1302,” said the air traffic controller on the FAA audiotape. “You’ve gone through the final (turn) sir… turn back right. There’s traffic on final on the parallel runway.”
Despite those warnings from air traffic control, radar images also released by the FAA to CBS4 Investigates show the two dots, representing two large airplanes and about 430 lives on board nearly merge into one in the skies over Doral. The incident is what’s known in the tight circle of aviation controllers as an “NMAC,” a near mid-air collision.
Click here to to listen to air traffic control and watch the radar as the two plans come dangerously close to each other.
“Flight 1302,” said the controller on the audio tape, “You’re not descending. Maintain 3,000 (feet elevation) sir. Just maintain 3,000 and turn right, heading zero, niner zero.”
The Argentina Airlines airbus which missed the turn passed right over the top of a landing American Airlines B737.
“I need you at 3,000 sir,” said the controller to the Argentina Airlines plane, “climb and maintain 3,000 (feet.) Your approach clearance is canceled.”
Molly Welsh was the controller in control who saved the day. It’s her voice you hear on the audiotape.
“In the heat of the moment you just keep talking and keep working,” said Welsh, a veteran of 23 years in the control tower. “I quickly tried to tell him to turn back and as I was saying that I realized it was a little too late for that.”
At about 3,000 feet the Airbus 340 operated by Aerolineas Argentinas missed its turn to runway 9 over Doral and kept flying towards a course to land on runway 8-L about a mile away. The Airbus headed straight for an American Airlines 737 on final approach to land on 8-L.
It was Welsh’s voice and calm instructions that kept the two planes from colliding, averting disaster by 900 feet.
Welsh sat down and shared her story of the August 18th incident with CBS4 Investigates. It’s an incident that has not received any media attention until now.
“At first you go “Oh no!” Then you just, you instinctively do something in hopes that it keeps them apart basically,” Welsh told CBS4 Investigator Stephen Stock. “It was a little scary.”
“When I looked back and saw he had gone through the final I immediately tried to turn and I said ‘you’ve gone through turn back,’” said Welsh. “As I’m saying this I realize that it’s too late for that. He’s already right where the other aircraft is.”
Without Welsh’s quick and effective action to separate the Airbus at the last second the Aerolineas Argentinas flight would have descended right on top of the American jet in mid-air.
“They were right on top of each other,” said Welsh.
This incident highlights a troubling and growing trend of more and more near mid-air collisions (NMACs) according to Congress’ General Accountability Office. In its report released in October, the GAO found that the rate of the most severe airborne operational errors almost tripled from in the last three years nationwide
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