The FAA is investigating a “close call” between a FedEx cargo plane and an Alaska Airlines flight at Newark Airport on Tuesday night.
“The FAA says an air traffic controller instructed Alaska Airlines Flight 294 to perform a go-around because FedEx Flight 721 was cleared for the final approach to an intersecting runway,” CBS News wrote.
The FAA is investigating after a close call between an Alaska Airlines flight and a FedEx cargo plane at Newark Airport on Tuesday night.
The FAA says an air traffic controller instructed Alaska Airlines Flight 294 to perform a go-around because FedEx Flight 721 was cleared for… pic.twitter.com/AJUdiZ9xNV
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 19, 2026
Fox News explained further:
A FedEx spokesperson told Fox News Digital that “following instructions from air traffic control, the flight crew of FedEx flight 721 landed safely without incident at Newark Liberty International Airport.”
An Alaska Airlines spokesperson told Fox News Digital Alaska Airlines flight 294 was also cleared to land at the airport.
“Air traffic control issued a go-around to our aircraft, which our pilots are highly trained for,” the spokesperson said. “We’re aware the FAA and NTSB are investigating.”
ADVERTISEMENTThe incident happened just a year after an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in midair with an American Airlines passenger plane near Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport, killing 64 people on the American Eagle flight and three aboard the military helicopter.
“The 737 climbed, passing over the FedEx aircraft on the runway,” Flightradar24 stated.
The NTSB is investigating a “close call” between an Alaska Airlines 737 and FedEx 777 in Newark. The flights were on approach to intersecting runways when ATC instructed Alaska to go around. The 737 climbed, passing over the FedEx aircraft on the runway. https://t.co/HRw07lC1HP pic.twitter.com/QoaBV1TMs8
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 19, 2026
NJ.com noted:
The Alaska Airlines flight was arriving from Portland, Oregon, and the FedEx plane arrived from Memphis, Tennessee, ABC News reported based on FlightRadar24 data.
The Alaska Airlines plane was 150 feet in the air and was seconds away from touching down on the runway, according ABC News. It cleared the FedEx plane by between 300 and 325 feet.
“This type of situation is not uncommon and our pilots are highly trained and skilled at responding,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement. “This was not a near-collision and at no time was the safety of this flight compromised.”
