HEART-POUNDING dashcam footage showed the moment two commercial airplanes narrowly avoided a catastrophic mid-air collision.
The shocking incident occurred on Monday morning over the skies in Syracuse, New York.
A Delta and American Airlines flight came within 725 feet of a mid-air crash, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Dashcam footage from a police cruiser on the ground captured the nail-biting moment the two aircrafts barely escaped the disaster, which stemmed from an apparent air traffic control error.
A video showed a police officer on the ground signaling to her partner and pointing to the sky as the planes appeared to be on a collision course.
The FAA said the two domestic flights were able to navigate around traffic control error after the American Airlines plane was given the all-clear to depart from Syracuse Hancock International Airport.
But, at the same time, the Delta flight was also cleared to land on the same runway.
“Delta 5421. Ready for the sky runway 28 ready for take-off?” the Delta pilot is heard asking air traffic control, to which they respond, “Cleared for take-off on 28, 5421.”
Seconds later, the American Airlines pilot is heard communicating, “Wait, who’s cleared to take-off on 28?”
Air traffic control personnel quickly instructed the American Airlines flight to go around “Blue-streak 55-11. Take to the sky. Go around.”
The American Airlines plane then takes to the sky to about 1,825 feet to avoid the incoming Delta plane.
The American Airlines flight, which was arriving from Washington DC, was carrying 79 people onboard.
The Delta flight, en route to New York City‘s LaGuardia Airport, was carrying 80 passengers and crew members onboard.
No injuries were reported.
The FAA is investigating the incident and what led up to it.
The terrifying incident comes as embattled planemaker Boeing is set to plead guilty to criminal fraud conspiracy charges after two fatal 737 Max crashed over five months.
In their plea agreement, Boeing, one of the largest airplane manufacturers in the world, will also pay a $234.6 million fine to resolve a US Justice Department investigation into the two crashes.
The investigation stems from the deadly October 2018 crash of a Boeing 737 Max plane, which was being operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air.
The plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing all 189 people on board.
Just months later, an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed, killing all 157 passengers and crew.
The DOJ and Boeing are working to document the complete written plea agreement and file it in federal court in Texas by July 19.
