Inquiry on Midair Near-Collision Stalled : FAA Awaits AirCal Pilot’s Report on Incident Near Disneyland

The investigation of a near-collision between an AirCal jetliner and a small plane Sunday over Anaheim was stalled Monday as federal authorities awaited a formal report of the incident from the airline pilot, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said.

FAA investigators are legally unable to proceed with an investigation until a report is filed by the pilot of AirCal Flight 342, FAA spokesman Russell Parks said.

“It makes it very difficult for us to do anything,” Parks said. “We cannot really start an investigation until a formal written report is given to us.

“We have a trace on it (the small plane) at this point, but we really can’t do much investigating until we get a formal report.”

AirCal officials could not be reached for comment Monday.

The passenger jet carrying 69 people took evasive action Sunday afternoon to avoid a single-engine airplane that passed near it over the Disneyland area of Anaheim, Parks said.

The AirCal British Aerospace 146 transport was headed for John Wayne Airport, flying at 3,000 feet, when its pilot spotted what he described as a Cessna 172 at about the same altitude at 1:19 p.m., Parks said.

The small plane was “in level flight,” not climbing or descending, when it came within 40 feet vertically and 100 to 150 feet horizontally of the airliner, Parks said. Authorities have not identified the small plane or its pilot.

There were no reported injuries, but “it was apparent to the passengers that something was happening,” Parks said.

The four-engine jet, arriving from San Jose, was about eight miles northwest of John Wayne when the incident occurred, Parks said.

“The FAA controller working the AirCal plane had put out air traffic warnings to all aircraft in the area once the AirCal (pilot) said to let them know there’s an unknown 172 up there somewhere,” Parks said. “Our preliminary report says he (the AirCal pilot) took evasive action . . . generally very close” to the Disneyland area.

“There was a plane on the screen at the Tracon (Terminal Radar Approach Control facility) . . . that we think was the Cessna,” Parks said. “We know where it went, but we can’t do anything (because) we don’t have an official . . . report.”

All available information on the incident was based on the AirCal pilot’s radio report to the Coast Tracon facility, Parks said. The AirCal pilot was believed to be on another commercial flight Monday.

There have been relatively few midair near-collisions reported to authorities at John Wayne Airport, according to tower manager Jay Maag. But there are no regulations governing how and to whom such incidents must be reported, he said.

“We’ve had, I think, six or seven reported to us in the last two years,” Maag said. “That doesn’t mean there weren’t more in this area. I’d say most of them are not that close.”