Swiss Air Jet Almost Collides with 4 Other Planes in Near-Catastrophe on JFK Runway

A Swiss Air jet nearly crashed into four other planes at JFK Airport after a communications error put them on the runway at the same time.

The Zurich-bound Swiss Air flight had been cleared for takeoff on April 17 and began rushing down the runway, but hit the brakes after noticing that air traffic control also cleared the path for four other planes, ABC 7 reports.

Air traffic control audio from the airport captured the moment the Swiss Air plane was given the all clear for takeoff on runway 4L, only for the pilot to notice another plane taxiing nearby.

“Swiss 17k heavy rejecting takeoff. Traffic on the runway,” the pilot told air traffic control.

Swiss Air praised its staff’s quick thinking in aborting the takeoff and avoiding a likely tragedy at the New York airport.

“Due to the high level of situational awareness and quick reaction of our crew, a potentially dangerous situation was quickly de-escalated,” Swiss Air said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

The near-collision at JFK took place just a day before two other planes almost crashed at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport just outside Washington, DC.

As with the New York incident, two planes at the Virginia airport had been cleared for takeoff on the same runway at the same time, according to the FAA.

It took about 30 seconds for the air traffic controllers to realize the mistake, desperately calling on the JetBlue and Southwest Airlines planes to stop before they collided.