FAA Investigates Near-Miss Involving Toronto Flight at JFK

Federal authorities are looking into a close call at John F. Kennedy International Airport after an Air Canada Express flight and a Republic Airways jet narrowly avoided a mid-air collision on Monday.

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The Incident at a Glance

• The Conflict: On April 20, 2026, Jazz Aviation Flight 554 (from Toronto) was on final approach when Republic Airways Flight 4464 (from Indianapolis) drifted into its path.
• The Proximity: The two regional jets reportedly came within 350 feet of one another vertically.
• The Recovery: Automated cockpit collision alerts (TCAS) triggered immediately, prompting both crews to take evasive maneuvers. Air traffic control also issued an emergency order for the Air Canada jet to climb to 3,000 feet.

Heightened Safety Concerns

This event has sparked fresh alarm within the aviation community, occurring just weeks after a fatal March 2026 accident at LaGuardia Airport involving another Air Canada Express aircraft and an airport vehicle.

Key areas of the FAA investigation include:

1. Pilot Deviation: Why the Republic Airways flight veered from its assigned approach path.
2. Controller Workload: Whether staffing shortages at the New York TRACON facility contributed to the delay in separating the aircraft.
3. Procedural Review: A top-to-bottom look at parallel runway landing protocols at JFK.

Both planes eventually executed go-arounds and landed safely, with no injuries reported among passengers or crew.