Planes Get Awfully Close Nearing JFK

Two planes approaching New York's busiest international airport ended up far closer together than they should have on Monday. A regional Delta flight operated by Endeavor Air reported a Cirrus personal aircraft passing roughly 500 feet overhead as both approached John F. Kennedy International Airport around 5pm, according to air traffic control audio reviewed by ABC News. Controllers told the Endeavor crew they were not in radio contact with the smaller plane as it crossed left to right "500 feet above you," though the FAA later confirmed controllers had advised the Cirrus pilot, People reports.

Endeavor pilots reported receiving a standard "traffic advisory," then a higher-level "resolution advisory" from the onboard collision-avoidance system. The system, however, did not order any evasive maneuvers, instructing the crew to hold their course. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 estimates the aircraft were separated by about 475 feet vertically, with the Endeavor jet at 2,100 feet and the Cirrus at 2,575 feet, before both landed safely. The incident came a day after a separate scare involving a United jet that struck a semitrailer and light pole while landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, where an investigation is underway.