COUNTYWIDE : Jet Aborts Landing Despite Clearance

An America West 737 airliner aborted its landing Sunday at John Wayne Airport when an on-board safety device warned that another aircraft was in its path.

The incident, which occurred about 1:40 p.m., was under investigation by the FAA. But a preliminary examination showed that the planes were not too close by FAA standards and there was no evidence of error by the air traffic controller guiding both planes, FAA spokeswoman Elly Brekke said.

Brekke said the airliner, which was en route from Las Vegas, and a single-engine Mooney aircraft had been cleared for landing when the incident occurred.

The controller had advised the aircraft of each other’s location and both pilots acknowledged having the other aircraft in sight, Brekke said.

The jetliner performed a “go-around” after its Terminal Collision Avoidance System sounded an alarm, Brekke said. The jet discontinued its landing, increased altitude, circled around and landed after another approach. The smaller plane landed while the airliner circled.

“It’s relatively new technology and a lot of people are evaluating it,” Brekke said of the automatic warning device, which has previously cautioned pilots to take evasive action even when FAA spacing standards for planes in flight do not call for it.