The pilots of an Air Canada Embraer E175 seemingly didn’t understand taxiing instructions (or something), and that almost caused an EVA Air Boeing 777 to run into them at high speeds. Oy…
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JFK landing incident close call: “we almost hit them”
YouTube channel You Can See ATC has the details of an incident that happened around 10:30PM on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at New York Kennedy Airport (JFK). This involves two planes that were in sequence to land behind one another, on runway 31R:
- Air Canada Jazz flight QK898 was operated by an Embraer E175, and was arriving from Montreal (YUL)
- EVA Air flight BR32 was operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, and was arriving from Taipei (TPE)
When the Air Canada plane clears the runway, it taxies onto taxiways WW and then B, and it holds position there, since it’s waiting for an Aer Lingus plane to get out of the ramp, so it can taxi in for arrival.
The controller anticipates the potential conflict here. WW is a popular taxiway on which to exit the runway, both given its location, and also given that it doesn’t require a 90-degree turn. So the controller already tells the EVA Air pilots they’ll need to exit on V, which is one taxiway further, to avoid any sort of a conflict.
The controller is really on top of things, and also at this point, he tells the Air Canada plane “once EVA Airlines 777 passes you off your nose, you can make two left turns and go into your ramp.” If I’m understanding things correctly, the Air Canada pilot responds “the 777 is off we can taxi,” which is close enough, I guess, or at least conveys the intent.
But this is where it gets bizarre. The EVA Air pilots do exactly what they’re supposed to do, and exit the runway at taxiway V. Yet at exactly the same time, the Air Canada pilots start taxiing, putting themselves on a collision course with the EVA Air 777.
You can hear the yelling then — “Air Canada, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!” It would appear that these two planes get very close to one another, and since the EVA Air 777 is just landing, it still has some speed. Fortunately the two planes barely miss one another, though as the EVA Air pilot explains, “we come in very, very high speed, we almost hit them.”
Kudos to the JFK controller & EVA Air pilots
Did everyone else notice that the controller on frequency is *that* guy (you know, the one who always gets in fights with everyone), but oddly he’s completely calm in this interaction? Kudos to him! I’m not sure if he has turned over a new leaf, or that he was just so annoyed that he couldn’t even deal.
Anyway, the thing about this guy is that as much as he’s often rather rude, he’s also really good at his job, in terms of noticing everything. He was obviously on top of this situation. And you can tell how annoyed he was by the fact that he didn’t even argue or shout, but instead, just immediately started giving the Air Canada pilot a number for a possible pilot deviation.
I’m really not sure what the Air Canada pilots were thinking here. The controller said they could move once the other plane “passes you off your nose.” They started taxiing exactly when they weren’t supposed to, even though the read back — “the 777 is off we can taxi” — seemed to mostly comprehend what was said.
The Air Canada pilot has a thick accent, but I didn’t get the sense that he wasn’t understanding anything, or that something was lost in translation. But maybe it was? It’s the only logical explanation I can come up with.
Bottom line
An Air Canada Embraer E175 and EVA Air 777 had a very close call at JFK, as they landed right after one another. The controller seemed to realize there could be a potential conflict, so he gave clear instructions for what pilots should do. Yet for whatever reason, the Air Canada pilots did exactly what they weren’t supposed to do, which was to taxi onto a taxiway right as a heavy aircraft was landing.
What do you make of this JFK close call?
This is once again our enemies trying to embarrass the US. The sickening thing is that Canada and Taiwan would sacrifice their own people to try and cause an accident in US soil.
A couple of points here:
The Air Canada Jazz aircraft is not a mainline Air Canada aircraft, it’s a regional affiliate for Air Canada, much like Envoy is for American and Endeavor is for Delta. This means many of the pilots flying for Jazz are less experienced, much like at Envoy and Endeavor.
This reasonable assumption that the crew of the Jazz aircraft being less experienced could have made them interpret the Aer Lingus...
A couple of points here:
The Air Canada Jazz aircraft is not a mainline Air Canada aircraft, it’s a regional affiliate for Air Canada, much like Envoy is for American and Endeavor is for Delta. This means many of the pilots flying for Jazz are less experienced, much like at Envoy and Endeavor.
This reasonable assumption that the crew of the Jazz aircraft being less experienced could have made them interpret the Aer Lingus aircraft as the B-777 that they were to wait for before they could enter the alley for their gate. Not all inexperienced pilots know the difference between an A-330 and a B-777, especially at night.
So, when the Aer Lingus aircraft taxied away, the Jazz pilots thought they had permission to move also.
As for all this Tim Dunn BS about Canada somehow snuggling up to China, that’s specious reasoning, and completely unfounded.
Bottom line: JFK is like many airports worldwide with complex runway/taxiway layouts which require complete attention by both ATC and pilots. And if there is any doubt about an ATC clearance, there is no doubt—don’t move until you understand the instructions.
I think you got it exactly right. They were waiting for the Aer Lingus on their left to "pass off your nose" to taxi.
Two contributing factors
1. Air Canada not being situationally aware of the EVA instructions that would have placed them passing them in the front.
2. The biggest contributing factor to me is the non standard phraseology controller used which in this case was ambiguously interpreted especially for someone who...
I think you got it exactly right. They were waiting for the Aer Lingus on their left to "pass off your nose" to taxi.
Two contributing factors
1. Air Canada not being situationally aware of the EVA instructions that would have placed them passing them in the front.
2. The biggest contributing factor to me is the non standard phraseology controller used which in this case was ambiguously interpreted especially for someone who may not be a native English speaker. "Off your nose" is not a standard phrase and is ambiguous. Off your nose in front? In the side? To your left? To your right?
The controller should have just been explicit. Wait for EVA xxx 777 to pass on taxiway V in front of you. Turn left behind it and then left again.... or something like that.
100% agree with you. ATC instructions were non-standard and convoluted. I’d call it an ATC deviation for confusing Jazz. (I’m former ATC.). Ben, you’re being a tad too kind to everyone’s favorite JFK tower controller.
JFK needs to redesign the entire airport layouts. Its terminals and taxiways are horribly laid out and posing so much danger to this extreme busy and tight airport.
and yet many other airlines manage to operate successfully there. and even at LAX which has 4 parallel runways, a UA crew managed to cross in front of one of its own company's aircraft that was on its takeoff roll.
The only way you can reduce the risk is end around taxiways which ATL has and which prevent landing aircraft - which use the outer runways - from largely crossing the inner departure runways.
and yet many other airlines manage to operate successfully there. and even at LAX which has 4 parallel runways, a UA crew managed to cross in front of one of its own company's aircraft that was on its takeoff roll.
The only way you can reduce the risk is end around taxiways which ATL has and which prevent landing aircraft - which use the outer runways - from largely crossing the inner departure runways.
Not all airports have the room for end around taxiways and you still have intersecting runways at all 3 NYC airports.
You just have to know what you are doing and fluently understanding and speaking English is step one. Step two is being ultra vigilant which even some US-born pilots have demonstrated they don't do at JFK.
Aw Tim, Delta never had near miss?
I bet you wouldn't count the one that went belly up because it wasn't mainline.
That’s a joual accent I hear.
an airline from a country with two languages is bound to have some pilots that speak French better than English
We need to BAN AIR CANADA!
After the HUGE INCIDENT in SFO and now this, its time for state 51 to be banned FOREVER.
Your attention to this matter is appreciated. I agree. Discontinue all Air Canada flights to the US from Canada. That will help with US tourism, especially in places like Las Vegas, Florida, and Arizona. People who no longer have to work in tourism related jobs in those locations can move to high paying jobs that are now under resourced as a result of the heroic efforts of immigration authorities. Jobs such as fruit picking, house...
Your attention to this matter is appreciated. I agree. Discontinue all Air Canada flights to the US from Canada. That will help with US tourism, especially in places like Las Vegas, Florida, and Arizona. People who no longer have to work in tourism related jobs in those locations can move to high paying jobs that are now under resourced as a result of the heroic efforts of immigration authorities. Jobs such as fruit picking, house cleaning and other domestic services.
You a truly a F’ing idiot. I hope you never crawl out of your trailer park and end up at an airport. They are already infested with pajama-wearing white trash losers.
Instrument and flying into congested airspace and airports is all about knowing what you are being told to do and follow it.
subplot: Taiwan is not the least bit happy that Canada is snuggling up w/ China.
Actual cause is far too many aircraft without room for maneuver , and communication problems caused by rapid incomprehensive speech .
Limit the number of aircraft , the number of passengers , the size of the aircraft , teach diction and slow-clear-speech to communicators , and there will be an increase in safety.
While I understood EVA is Taiwanese, I am not sure how to make the connection between this post and the politics of the Canadian - Taiwan relationship. I do not think Canada is snubbing Taiwan, it is simply trying to diversify trade away from its friendly neighbour to the south. Do the EVA pilots have a ram Air Canada planes on sight order from their government? Unlikely, given it seems the reverse was about to...
While I understood EVA is Taiwanese, I am not sure how to make the connection between this post and the politics of the Canadian - Taiwan relationship. I do not think Canada is snubbing Taiwan, it is simply trying to diversify trade away from its friendly neighbour to the south. Do the EVA pilots have a ram Air Canada planes on sight order from their government? Unlikely, given it seems the reverse was about to happen. Busy airport, ATC speaking in accented English quickly with complex instructions. English may not have been the first language of the Air Canada plane. Recipe for disaster. It is hard to get a correct order at a drive through these days so imagine how hard it is to deal with this sort of traffic management scenario with a level of complexity a bid in excess of ordering that breakfast of champions, a Big Mac and a Filet o fish.
maybe, maybe Canada-China relations were part of the strong response by the EVA crew and maybe it wasn't but it is beyond naive to not think that EVA doesn't see what is going on between Canada and Taiwan. ATC had to tell EVA multiple times that they (the US FAA) has this covered and you don't need to be involved. EVA can file a report but it is then a government to government incident.
and...
maybe, maybe Canada-China relations were part of the strong response by the EVA crew and maybe it wasn't but it is beyond naive to not think that EVA doesn't see what is going on between Canada and Taiwan. ATC had to tell EVA multiple times that they (the US FAA) has this covered and you don't need to be involved. EVA can file a report but it is then a government to government incident.
and to the comment above, there are plenty of pilots that landed and do land following JFK ATC's instructions. The airfield is complicated but that is true of all large airports.
Language likely did play a factor - the Jazz readback of ATC instructions was not clear.
but let's not forget that there have been English speaking US pilots that have failed to follow ATC directions including AA's 777 crew that crossed in front of a departing DL 737 which had takeoff clearance at JFK and more recently a UA narrowbody that crossed in front of its own company departing 787 after the narrowbody crew was told to hold short.
Mistakes happen but they can be deadly or expensive.
Ben is right that the JFK controller was on his game and kept it from going bad.
Tim only you are full of fluff.
EVA pilots are professionals unlike you.
They, like most humans including you, would have a strong response not because of Canada relationships but because you're about to collide another jet at high speed at no fault of your own.
Anyone would be super piss*d off, almost dying because another human error.
Tim you are full of it.
EVA is very professional and concerned about safety but also image and pax perception. Having an extreme short stop makes it seem as though the crew made an error. Obviously, EVA and the crew want to avoid such erroneous perception.
It sounds like the AC pilots may have thought the 777 was past them so they were clear to taxi, although they probably should have noticed it still landing.
They can't all be Kennedy Steve...
“Let the abuse start…”
(He does have a great voice. VERY direct.)