NEW YORK — Federal aviation authorities are investigating a near-collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport after a Republic Airways jet was forced to abort its takeoff to avoid striking a United Airlines plane that was still taxiing across the runway.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight on May 6, prompting emergency braking that injured at least one passenger and reigniting concerns about runway safety at major U.S. airports.
Renee Hoffer, a passenger on the Republic Airways flight operated for American Airlines, said the sudden stop hurled everyone forward in their seats. By the next day, she was in the emergency room with neck pain and numbness in her left arm. “The stop was as hard as any car accident I’ve been in,” she said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board confirmed Monday they are investigating the incident. According to preliminary findings, the Republic Airways jet was accelerating down the runway when it had to come to a screeching halt because a United plane was still taxiing across. The airport is equipped with advanced surface radar systems designed to prevent such close calls, but the technology failed to avert this one.
Audio obtained by ABC News via LiveATC.net captured an air traffic controller telling the Republic pilot, “Sorry, I thought United had cleared well before that.” At the time, the Republic pilot was receiving instructions from the tower, while the United aircraft was being directed on a separate frequency by a ground controller after missing its designated taxiway exit.
Passengers expressed frustration after the event, claiming they were denied hotel vouchers despite the abrupt stop being linked to an operational failure, not weather. One traveler reportedly used a flight tracking app to show that another aircraft had remained on the runway, contradicting the airline’s explanation.
Hoffer said her efforts to contact the airline and the FAA have gone unanswered. She continues to suffer from what ER doctors diagnosed as a pinched nerve in her neck. “It’s been a customer service nightmare,” she said.
The incident adds to a growing list of high-profile runway incursions that have troubled aviation officials. In February 2023, an American Airlines plane nearly collided with a Delta jet in Austin, and in another case, a Southwest Airlines flight narrowly avoided crashing into a business jet in Chicago.
LaGuardia is among only 35 U.S. airports equipped with the FAA’s ASDE-X radar system, which tracks aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways. However, most of the nation’s 490 control tower airports still rely on less sophisticated tools, such as binoculars, due to the high cost of upgrading.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has called for expanded deployment of advanced systems as part of a broader air traffic control overhaul, but the technology is not infallible. Despite investments, runway incursions have persisted, with roughly 30 incidents per million takeoffs and landings over the past decade. In 2023, the FAA recorded 22 of the most serious incursions, a figure that dropped to just 7 last year.
To further enhance safety, the FAA is considering new systems that would send alerts directly to pilots rather than relying solely on air traffic controllers. Honeywell International has been developing such technology, but it has yet to receive FAA certification.
The ongoing investigations into the LaGuardia near miss are part of a broader effort to address one of aviation’s most persistent risks. The deadliest aviation accident in history—a 1977 runway collision between two 747s in Tenerife, Spain—still looms large as a stark reminder of what can go wrong when ground coordination fails. That disaster claimed 583 lives.
For passengers like Hoffer, the May 6 incident was a chilling reminder of those dangers. “We were lucky,” she said. “But next time, it could be worse.”
