Aviation News

April 12, 2011

Air Traffic Control Audio: Air France Airbus A380 Hits Delta CRJ-700 at JFK

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By: Matt Molnar
Tags: Air France, air traffic controllers, Airbus A380, audio, Aviation accidents and incidents, Comair, CRJ-700, Delta Air Lines, New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

Below is audio of the conversation between Air France Flight 7, Comair/Delta Connection Flight 6293 and the JFK Airport control tower, before and immediately after the left wing of the Airbus A380 superjumbo clipped the relatively tiny Bombardier CRJ-700, spinning it nearly 90 degrees.

Thanks to LiveATC.net for the audio!

It was not immediately apparent if either plane had incorrectly followed the control tower’s instructions or if a controller had misdirected one of the planes to move when or where it should not have. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.

Anonymous

I guess what I heard, voices speaking French in the background, was more important than the control instruction to stop.

Probably not be the case now that sheet metal got bent.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_U44GIRKX3DTRN6HNWJCPLH4J4M atpcliff

ATC gave AF instructions to stop later on in their taxiway, and “Give way to opposite direction traffic at KD”. AF was to continue taxiing and hold short of the traffic near taxiway intersection KD. The French voices you heard in the background was the AF pilots acknowledging the taxi instructions of ATC.

http://profiles.google.com/mnwyche Mark Wyche

Not to jump to conclusions before the outcome of the investigation, but from listening to the audio, this sounds like an ATC error. At :20 AF007 was told to give way to traffic. At :30 seconds Comair reports that AF007 hit them.

Within 27 seconds of his first instruction, Comair reports that he was hit. It sounds to me that Comair was accounted for too late.

Anonymous

How do you know ground was referring to the RJ? He said opposite moving traffic at KD, which is quite a bit farther down than alpha-mike.

http://profiles.google.com/mnwyche Mark Wyche

After listening to it again, you are correct. We’ll just have to wait and see what the outcome of the investigation is.

Anonymous

No, COM parks at terminal 2 (right off M and A) and the video shows the CRJ was right at the edge of the non-movement area, inside it but not far enough to clear A obviously… ATC is only responsible for the movement areas. The AFR would be at fault for not ensuring wingtip clearance. (I’m an ATC)

http://profiles.google.com/mnwyche Mark Wyche

Not to jump to conclusions before the outcome of the investigation, but from listening to the audio, this sounds like an ATC error. At :20 AF007 was told to give way to traffic. At :30 seconds Comair reports that AF007 hit them.

Within 27 seconds of his first instruction, Comair reports that he was hit. It sounds to me that Comair was accounted for too late.