Investigation launched after two military aircraft nearly collide with passenger airliner

February 6, 2011

New safety procedures are to be implemented after an American Airlines came close to  with two   aircraft off the coast of New York, United States, last month. Radar data indicates the aircraft came within of each other before the flight crew of the Boeing 777 took evasive action as an alarm sounded in the cockpit of the jet.

An aviation official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alarm which sounded in the cockpit of the passenger jet, which had 259 people aboard, "may be what saved the day," since C-17 cargo aircraft are not highly manoeuvrable. Investigators have reportedly found the aircraft would have collided head-on.

The has launched a "major investigation" into the incident, and confirmed there were no injuries in the incident. The, the government department responsible for aviation in the U.S., said in a statement air traffic controllers are "reviewing a variety of procedures including the handling of formation flights, aircraft near sector boundaries.”