A Wing And A Prayer: Planes That Almost Crashed

Near Collision at Toronto’s Island Airport

You’d have thought the near-collision at Toronto’s Island Airport would go just like so many of the incidents that have taken place everywhere else in the world, but there are some minor deviations. Principally, there’s the fact that they’re not sure what the object was that nearly hit the Porter Airlines flight.

Transportation Safety Board (TSB) spokeswoman KarineEyamiesaid, “The description and size of the objectdoesnot match any known commercial or consumer available unmanned aerial vehicle.” It doesn’t appear to be adrone,since the elevation of the object was too high, and it was too far from the shore, so they’ve closed the incident, listing it as an “unidentified airborne object.” Interesting!

Japan Airlines Mid-Air Incident

In 2001, Japan Airlines Flight 907, a Boeing 747-400, nearly hit Flight 958, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40, above Suruga Bay. They reportedly received conflicting instructions from the flight controller at the Tokyo Area Control Center in Tokorozawa.

As the pilots adjusted their flight path to avoidcollision, multiple injuries were incurred as a result of the rapid and jarring maneuvers. Seven passengers and two crew members sustained serious injuries. Also, 81 passengers and 10 crew members experienced minor injuries. All told, there were 747 affected by the near-collision incident. Ultimately, there was a criminal investigation and trial. Hideki Hachitani (ATC trainee) and Yasuko Momii (ATC Supervisor) were found to be guilty of professional negligence.