On 16 October, an American Airlines 737 (N800NN) and Cessna R182 Skylane (N738PG) came dangerously close as the airliner was preparing to land in Austin. The Cessna, which was not coordinating with the Austin approach controller, turned directly into the final approach path for Runway 36L causing a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) Resolution Advisory on the 737. The two aircraft were separated by just 400 feet as the Cessna passed under the 737.
How it all unfolded
We’ve synced the flight paths of the aircraft involved with audio captured by LiveATC.net on the Austin approach frequency. We’ve edited out the radio calls not concerning any of the flights in question and added subtitles as the radio traffic moves quickly.
The crew of an American Airlines 737 responded to a TCAS alert after a Cessna 182 turned directly into the American flight’s approach path to Austin on 16 Oct. The two aircraft were only separated by 400 feet as the 737 passed almost directly over the Cessna. Watch and listen: pic.twitter.com/w1NMRvyJFo
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 18, 2024
The Cessna was flying westbound across the final approach path to Austin Airport as the American flight was turning onto final approach. The Cessna then unexpectedly turned south directly into the approach path. The American Airlines pilots reported losing visual contact with the Cessna and moments later a TCAS RA was issued to the pilots of the 737. TCAS RAs are immediate instructions issued to the pilots by onboard systems to avoid a mid-air collision.
Downloadable data
Data available for download includes the standard CSV and KML files for both full flights. Additionally, granular data for the time period surrounding the TCAS RA is available for both flights as well.
