Air traffic controllers have tough jobs, and given the volume of planes they handle, it’s not surprising that we sometimes see close calls. However, this has to be one of the stranger incidents we’ve seen in quite some time…
Envoy Air & SkyWest jets have close call on approach
VASAviation has the scoop on what happened shortly before 11PM on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina (GSO). The incident involves two planes:
- American Eagle flight AA3754 (operated by Envoy Air) was operating from Miami (MIA) using an Embraer E175
- United Express flight UA5503 (operated by SkyWest) was operating from Denver (DEN) using an Embraer E175
The air traffic controller was sequencing both planes to land on runway 5R, with the Envoy Air plane being ahead of the SkyWest plane.
It was clear that the planes would be approaching pretty close to one another, so the air traffic controller tried to create some separation. Already quite a ways out, the SkyWest pilots were told to slow down to 210 knots, while the Envoy Air pilots were told to keep it as fast as they could for as long as they could. Later, the SkyWest pilots were further told to slow down to 170 knots.
The air traffic controller confirmed that the SkyWest plane had visual of the Envoy Air plane ahead of it, and was told to follow it in. The SkyWest pilots were also told “if you can’t, I’ll break you out and send you back around, just let me know.”
You can then see a collision alert on the radar, given how close to one another the planes got. However, it was only when the planes got even closer that the SkyWest pilots requested to break off, and be resequenced. Both planes ended up landing safely, around six minutes apart.
According to VASAviation, at their closest point, the two planes had just 300 feet of separation, which is dangerously close. You can hear the communication and see a visualization of what happened below.
I’m so confused how this became such a close call
When I first saw that VASAviation uploaded the above video, I watched the whole thing start from finish. After watching it, I figured I must have misunderstood what was going on here, as there’s no way the air traffic controller was actually intending for both of these planes to land on the same runway, thinking this spacing would work out.
I figured I must have misunderstood it, and they were intended to line up on parallel runways, or something. But nope, the planes were being lined up for the same runway. I mean, I think even to the untrained eye, it was pretty clear from 15 miles out that this wasn’t going to end well.
This sure seems like a situation where some vectoring early on would’ve made a lot of sense. A missed approach isn’t a huge deal, but what I’m confused about is why both the pilots and air traffic controller allowed this to become such a close call.
Since the two planes were maintaining visual separation, I understand the air traffic controller putting the ball in the pilots’ court, and giving the SkyWest pilots the option of breaking out, if they wanted to. But… like… between the pilots and the air traffic controller, how was this not called off earlier? They waited until the planes were hundreds of feet apart to call off the approach?
This is truly one of the more puzzling close calls I’ve seen in some time. I see how this kind of stuff happens at LaGuardia on a super busy day, but on an otherwise quiet night at Greensboro?
Bottom line
Two jets had a close call at GSO, as they both approached the runway around the same time. Even from far out, it seemed clear that one plane would have to resequence to make this work. Despite that, the planes both continued their approach until they were just hundreds of feet apart.
Fortunately this had a fine ending, but this seems like something that was entirely avoidable, and even to the untrained eye, it seemed obvious this wasn’t going to work out.
What do you make of this close call at GSO?
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