- By Ajeet Kumar
- Wed, 06 May 2026 01:08 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Delta plane and small aircraft came dangerously close.
- Incident occurred near JFK Airport, 500 feet apart.
- Raises fresh air safety concerns after recent events.
A Delta Air Lines plane and a small propeller aircraft came dangerously close to each other near John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday, raising fresh safety concerns. This was the second such incident near the airport in just two weeks.
The incident happened around 5:15 p.m. when the Delta flight was getting ready to land. The jet was flying at about 2,100 feet, while the smaller plane, a Cirrus SR22, was at around 2,575 feet. At one point, the two aircraft were only about 500 feet apart.
Disastrous moment
Air Traffic Control warned the Delta pilots about the nearby aircraft. Both pilots confirmed that they could see each other in the sky. Officials later said that the required safety distance between the two planes was maintained, even though the situation was very close.
The Delta flight involved was Endeavor Air Flight 5289, which was arriving in New York from Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport. The flight was being operated by Endeavor Air, a regional subsidiary of Delta.
ATC was not in contact with small aircraft
According to reports, the air traffic controller was not in direct contact with the smaller aircraft at the time of the incident. The Delta pilots were asked to maintain their position instead of changing course. They continued to monitor the smaller plane and kept it in sight at all times.
This incident has added to recent concerns about air safety in the area. Just two weeks earlier, two passenger planes came within 400 feet of each other while approaching the same airport.
In another separate event on Sunday, a United Airlines plane hit a bakery truck while landing at Newark Liberty International Airport.
While no injuries were reported in these incidents, they highlight the risks involved in busy airspace and the importance of strict coordination between pilots and air traffic controllers.