A Delta Air Lines passenger jet was forced to abandon its landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport after a private aircraft took off without authorization, creating a dangerous situation in which the two planes reportedly came within approximately 1,000 feet of one another.

The incident occurred on October 7 but only became publicly known this week, prompting an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration into how a private jet was able to depart without receiving the required clearance from air traffic controllers.

According to reports and air traffic control recordings, the incident involved a NetJets Embraer Phenom 300 business jet that had been instructed to enter Runway 13 and wait for further authorization before taking off.

Instead, the private aircraft began its takeoff while a Delta passenger jet was approaching LaGuardia for landing on a nearby runway.

The Delta pilots responded by discontinuing their approach and climbing away from the airport, a maneuver known as a go-around, to avoid a potentially dangerous conflict with the departing aircraft.

Flight-tracking information indicated that the planes were separated by approximately 300 meters, or 1,000 feet, as the Delta aircraft began climbing.

The Delta aircraft was identified as Flight 5415, a Bombardier CRJ900 operated by Endeavor Air under the Delta Connection brand. The flight had departed Omaha, Nebraska, and was approaching LaGuardia shortly before 4 p.m. when the incident unfolded.

The private aircraft, a NetJets Embraer Phenom 300 operating as ExecJet Flight 398, was departing from Runway 13. Flight records indicate that the jet was headed to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.

Air traffic control recordings captured a disagreement between the private jet’s pilots and the tower over whether permission to take off had actually been issued.

“I believe you were never cleared for takeoff, sir. You were cleared to line up and wait,” the controller told the crew after the aircraft had departed.

The pilot disputed that account, responding, “No, I believe we were cleared for takeoff. We were told that the United was ahead, wake turbulence and everything.”

The controller rejected the explanation, replying, “Uh, negative. I never even said anything about wake turbulence.”

Under standard aviation procedures, an instruction to line up and wait authorizes an aircraft to enter a runway and hold its position. It does not permit the pilots to begin their takeoff roll. A separate clearance is required before an aircraft may depart.

The FAA subsequently confirmed that the private jet had departed without authorization and announced that it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“The crew of Endeavor Air Flight 5415 performed a go-around at LaGuardia Airport after ExecJet Flight 398 departed on an intersecting runway without air traffic control authorization,” the agency stated.

Delta also confirmed that its pilots discontinued their landing to maintain separation from the other aircraft.

“The crew initiated a go-around to ensure safe spacing with a departing aircraft on a nearby runway,” the airline said.

The Delta flight subsequently landed safely at LaGuardia approximately 12 minutes later. No injuries were reported.

The incident has drawn renewed attention to aviation safety at LaGuardia, one of the busiest airports in the New York metropolitan area, particularly because it follows a fatal runway collision at the same airport earlier this year.

In March, an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with an airport firefighting vehicle while landing. Both pilots were killed, and dozens of passengers and crew members were injured.

Investigators determined that the emergency vehicle had been cleared to cross the runway while the aircraft was approaching, resulting in the deadly collision. The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into that accident remains ongoing.

The October 7 incident raises a different set of questions, particularly regarding communication between pilots and air traffic controllers and the procedures intended to prevent aircraft from entering or departing runways without proper authorization.

Federal investigators have not yet released a final determination explaining why the NetJets crew believed it had permission to take off or whether the incident resulted from a misunderstood instruction or another communication failure.

{Matzav.com}