United flight 889 avoids midair collision over San Francisco

A United Airlines Boeing 777-222 (N216UA) which had just departed San Francisco International Airport (SFO) at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 27, on a non stop flight to Beijing, China narrowly missed hitting a single engine 1946 Aeronca 11AC (N9270E) private aircraft, registered to a corporate owner in Shelton, CT. The light aircraft was inbound to SFO heading south, while the Boeing 777 was outbound, traveling northwest at an altitude of 1,100 feet.

The two aircraft came within 300 feet vertically, and 1,500 feet horizontally of each other. Both the FAA and the NTSB are investigating.

CAPTIONS: (ABOVE LEFT) United Airlines Boeing 777-222/ER, San Francisco - International (SFO), January 30, 2010 (airliners.net/Ben Wang); (BELOW RIGHT ONE) 1946 Aeronca 11AC Chief, N86176 (John Baker/Hanger9Aeroworks.com); (BELOW RIGHT TWO) 1946 Aeronca 11AC Chief, N86176 (Photo courtesy of Michael Roe);  (BELOW LEFT) Aeronca 11AC instrument panel (Photo courtesy of Michael Roe); (BELOW RIGHT BOTTOM) United Airlines Boeing 777-222/ER, Beijing - Capital (PEK), May 1, 2009 (airliners.net/Bastian Ding)

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Initial indications are that the near miss disaster was the fault of air traffic controllers for clearing the United flight, and initially overlooking radar contact with the Aeronca. The flight controllers then alerted both aircraft. The pilot of the Aeronca was able to climb and turn to his left, while the United First Officer who was flying the plane leveled out the aircraft's rate of climb.

Radio traffic from UA flight 889 indicated a disturbingly close encounter, which the pilot declared as a "near miss". He was able to see the underside of the Aeronca as the two planes passed each other in fractions of a second. The FAA requires that aircraft be safely spaced, trailing either by 1-1/2 mile intervals, or by 15 degrees of separation. FAA aircraft vertical separation is 1,000 feet.

According to the Associated Press, United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said the airline was cooperating completely with the investigation and that it also reported the incident to the NTSB. Ms. Urbanski added, "This kind of near, mid-air collision is 'unusual' for United."

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor issued a statement indicating that the Federal Aviation Administration is taking "strong measures to make sure something similar does not occur in the future." Gregor added that the FAA does not keep statistics on near misses, which are reported by pilots. However, he said misses this close are rare and need to be properly scrutinized.

NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said its own investigation could take three to 12 months, but that at any time during this period, preliminary safety recommendations could be issued, if warranted.

United flight 889 was carrying 251 passengers with a crew of 17, and continued on to Beijing without incident. The Aeronca also landed safely.

The Boeing 777 series have never been involved in a fatal flight incident. There has been one hull loss accident on January 17, 2008, when a British Airways flight BA38 crash landed 1,000 feet short of Heathrow Airport's runway 27L, due to a clogged fuel-oil heat exchanger, causing loss of engine power. The only death involving this aircraft type happened at Denver International Airport on September 5, 2001, during a refueling fire which killed a ground worker.

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