Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have determined that air traffic controllers in San Diego were distracted when a private jet narrowly avoided colliding with a Southwest Airlines plane on a runway in August 2023. The final report, released Tuesday, detailed how the incident brought the planes within 100 feet of each other.
According to the NTSB, both the controller handling the landings and their supervisor made decisions that diverted their attention from monitoring the aircraft. “Tragedy was averted because the airport’s automated system for tracking planes and vehicles on the ground alerted the controller to the potential conflict, and the private jet was able to pull up and circle before landing safely,” investigators said.
The NTSB found that as a business jet approached for landing, the responsible controller chose to contact a regional FAA radar facility regarding an unrelated plane’s altitude instead of focusing on incoming aircraft. In an interview after the incident, the controller admitted this was a mistake.
Additionally, investigators cited distraction by the supervisor as another contributing factor. The supervisor was troubleshooting an issue with a printer used by controllers at a critical moment. Rather than switching to a backup printer, they attempted repairs during active operations, diverting attention from overseeing landings.
This near-miss has heightened concerns about aviation safety following recent deadly incidents. Among these is an Air India crash in June that resulted in 241 fatalities among passengers and crew and claimed 29 lives on the ground.
“Both the controller directing those planes and the supervisor made bad choices that day that took their attention away from the landing,” according to NTSB findings.
The agency’s report underscores how automated ground systems played a crucial role in preventing disaster at San Diego International Airport.
