BURBANK, CA — Federal authorities this week revealed that a helicopter nearly collided with a plane that was landing at Hollywood Burbank Airport.
The close call was among a series of recent incidents that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to change safety rules at the nation’s airports this week. And it comes two months after a federal official warned about a serious risk of mid-air collisions at the Burbank Airport.
The near-collision above the San Fernando Valley occurred on March 2 when a Beechcraft 99 plane was cleared to land at Burbank. It conflicted with a helicopter that was flying through its final approach path, according to the FAA.
“The aircraft were on converging courses when the helicopter made a right-hand turn to avoid the Beechcraft,” FAA officials said in a statement.
The incident was one of two close calls identified by the FAA on Wednesday when it announced a change to safety rules meant to prevent mid-air collisions.
Previously, air traffic controllers would advise pilots about nearby aircraft and pilots relied on what they could see to avoid collisions around busy airports. Now, the FAA is requiring air traffic controllers to use radar in those types of situations and manage distances between aircraft.
The rule change is the latest in a series of responses to a mid-air crash between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines plane that killed 67 people near Washington, D.C. last year.
Earlier this year, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board said Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport and Burbank share similar concerns about the mixing of commercial and helicopter traffic.
“I keep hearing about other areas in the airspace where they are concerned — Burbank is one where commercial airlines have called me to say the next mid-air (collision) is going to be at Burbank. And nobody at FAA is paying attention to us,” Chair Jennifer Homendy said.
Following Homendy’s comments, the FAA issued a statement insisting that it has taken steps to improve safety at airports including Burbank and Van Nuys — which are fewer than 10 miles apart and serve a mix of aircraft with closely spaced takeoff and landing paths.