Near-collision at Westchester County Airport - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Near-collision at Westchester County Airport

The FAA is investigating a near-collision at Westchester County Airport on Sunday. A Piper Seneca and a Piper Cherokee flew within 200 feet of each other after an air traffic controller gave the go ahead for one to land and the other to take off.

As the Seneca took off, the Cherokee was landing. The Seneca rolled right under the other plane at the intersection of Runways 1/1 and 3/4.

Seconds after giving the command to land, the air traffic controller realizes the mistake, and tells the Seneca to go around.

Problem was, the Seneca was already on the ground.

Fox 5 confirmed all this with the pilot of the Seneca, who told us he looked down and saw the other plane rolling under.

Former NTSB investigator Al Yurman said it appears that the air traffic controller misjudged the speed and proximity of both planes.

Westchester County Airport has already been under federal investigation, after Fox 5 reported about air traffic controllers there allegedly sleeping on the job.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the FAA said that the agency is "investigating how the sequencing of the aircraft resulted in the departing aircraft not meeting the required clearance through the intersection."