Runway incursion

From AP-

FORT LAUDERDALE -- Two planes came within 100 feet or less of colliding on a runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, authorities said.

Air traffic controllers noticed a plane entering a runway Wednesday as Delta Flight 1489 approached the same runway for a landing, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said. Earlier reports that the Delta pilot also saw the wayward plane were incorrect, she said.

The controllers alerted the Delta crew to pull up and circle the airport to avoid United Flight 1544, which had missed a turn onto another taxiway, Bergen said.

Investigators were focusing on what caused the United flight to veer into Delta's right of way, Bergen said.

Spokeswomen for Delta and United did not immediately return messages Thursday.

When a plane is on a runway without authorization, the FAA labels the incident as a ``runway incursion.''

The airport has had three runway incursions between June 1, 2006, and May 31, according to FAA records. Two were blamed on pilot error and the third was ruled an air traffic control error.

The adjacent photo was taken after the most famous runway incursion(or collision) happened. The 1977 Tenerife disaster.

Ten years ago I was on board a plane when a runway incursion occurred at FTL FLL. My Northwest flight from Memphis had to do a go around. The pilot announcing someone was out on the runway.

I'm not saying to stop flying because of these dangers. Still FTL FLL is not a very large or spread out airport, unlike a DTW. All the runways are in confined area. It makes you wonder why these incursions keep happening.

Note- FTL FLL is the airport code for Fort Lauderdale. DTW is the airport code for Detroit Wayne County Airport. As a former Northwest Platinum Frequent Flyer, I flew in and out of DTW a lot.

Update- Post changed to correct Fort Lauderdale's airport code from FTL to FLL

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