BOSTON (WHDH) - A pilot on a Spirit Airlines flight bound for Boston Tuesday received warning from air traffic control over New York.
Air traffic control told the pilot, “Spirit 1300 turn right. Pay attention Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right. Spirit 1300 turn 20 degrees right now. Spirit wings 1300 turn 20 degrees right, immediately.”
The pilot then did so. In response, air traffic control said, “Spirit 1300, traffic on your left wing by eight miles, 747. I’m sure you can see who it is, he’s white and blue… I got to talk to you twice every time? Pay attention. Get off the iPad.”
Air Force One was carrying President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the time. The plane was headed to the U.K. and had left Joint Base Andrews at the time.
The Spirit flight was warned over New York just before 10:30 a.m.
Spirit Airlines released a statement that said in part, “Spirit Airlines flight 1300 (FLL-BOS) followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to Boston (BOS) and landed uneventfully at BOS. Safety is always our top priority.”
Experts say if it weren’t for those stern warnings, these two planes could have gotten even closer.
“If it were me in that position, I’d want want to make sure that they didn’t come to that point, and it sounds like that’s why the controller was giving him a 20 degree turn, to make sure that did not happen. However, the stress comes when the pilot doesn’t respond,” said Margaret Wallace, a former Air Force Traffic Controller.
Wallace said if the planes hadn’t received the warning, and come even closer to one another, controllers would have had to alert Air Force One.
“The controller, if that had gotten any more than three miles closer, would have taken actions with the Air Force One pilot to divert any safety issues,” said Wallace.
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