Houston’s Hobby Airport Grounded After Private Jet Takes Off, Collides with Landing Plane
William P. Hobby Airport in Houston faced a chaotic scene yesterday when a private jet departed without clearance and clipped wings with an incoming aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports no injuries from the 3:30 PM collision, though Hobby grounded all flights for hours afterwards.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) already descended on the airport to unpack events leading up to the midair mishap. Information remains murky, but the incident evidently involved:
- A twin-engine Hawker business jet carrying 3 people
- A twin-engine Cessna Citation with 5 aboard
Tracking data shows the Hawker aligned on the runway per air traffic control instruction. But instead of waiting for permission to depart, the aircraft began its takeoff roll and ultimately rotated off the ground.
Meanwhile, the Cessna came in to land from the opposite direction.
The wayward Hawker clipped the Cessna’s wing as their paths intersected over the tarmac. Images of the two planes after landing again showed visible damage, especially to the Cessna’s wing.
In a radio transmission obtained by local media, the Cessna pilot informs air traffic control “We just had a midair…you guys just cleared somebody to take off or land and we had a minor departure.”
This exchange suggests a breakdown in communication contributed to the close call.
Though nobody suffered injuries, William P. Hobby Airport immediately closed operations to assess the situation. At least 130 flights faced delays or cancellations before the airfield reopened around 8 PM.
With Hobby out of commission, inbound flights were diverted to Bush Intercontinental Airport elsewhere in Houston. Some travelers reportedly abandoned their checked bags and sought alternate transportation rather than awaiting updates.
Yesterday’s collision came just hours before Michael Whitaker’s confirmation as FAA Administrator. Improving safety amid a surge in air travel will surely rank among Whitaker’s urgent priorities.
Aviation authorities are already worried about recent incidents like:
- January – A FedEx cargo plane and Southwest Airlines flight nearly collide at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
- April – A Delta Air Lines plane and Compass Airlines plane cross paths on the runway in Austin
- April – Two airliners nearly collide while taxiing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York
- July – A United Airlines plane and Republic Airways plane fly dangerously close together at Newark Liberty International Airport
- October – Two Lufthansa planes almost collide during taxiing at Frankfurt Airport
Many of the close calls apparently stem from mistakes in pilot/controller communication, as well as strains on the system from booming air traffic.
The NTSB team deployed to Houston will work to establish the chain of events leading to Tuesday’s mishap. They must also determine if the Hawker pilot should face sanctions for their unauthorized takeoff.
In the meantime, aviation authorities grapple with similar near collisions nationwide. Such incidents heighten calls for increased focus on runway safety initiatives.
Potential solutions center on further standardizing phraseology between pilots and controllers. Upgrading airport infrastructure can also help, for instance by optimizing taxiway design or implementing enhanced radar systems.
Yet technology alone cannot eliminate human misperceptions in aviation’s complex operating environment. Ongoing training and awareness represent key parallel priorities.
Houston’s close call highlights that more work remains to uphold safety margins despite rising demand. But investigators hope gleaning lessons from each incident will steadily move the system in the right direction.