A Republic Airways flight operating as a Delta Connection route made an unusual air traffic control error earlier this month when pilots mistakenly contacted the wrong New York control tower while preparing to land at LaGuardia Airport, according to reports and audio recordings of the incident, as reported[1] by The New York Post.
Delta Connection Flight 5752, operated by Republic Airways, was approaching LaGuardia Airport on March 15 after departing from Washington, D.C., when the crew reached out to the air traffic control tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport instead.
The two airports are located approximately 10 miles apart.
2024-11-15 Los Angeles USA Reg:N12012 ,United Airlines, Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner.
Audio obtained from air traffic control communications captured the confusion as the pilots attempted to coordinate their landing.
The pilot initiated contact by saying, “Brickyard 5752, LaGuardia Tower,” despite being connected to the wrong facility.
The controller at JFK responded with uncertainty, asking, “Brickyard 5752. I’m sorry, where are you?”
“2-mile final, Brickyard 5752,” the pilot replied, indicating the aircraft was on its final approach.
The controller sought clarification, asking, “2-mile final where?”
“Runway 4,” the pilot answered.
“At LaGuardia?” the controller asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” the pilot confirmed.
The exchange prompted the JFK controller to correct the situation quickly, stating, “This is Kennedy Tower, please go to LaGuardia Tower.”
Realizing the mistake, the pilot responded, “Oh my goodness. Alright,” while another pilot could be heard reacting with, “That’s crazy.”
According to a spokesperson for Republic Airways, the flight crew initiated a go-around maneuver following the communication error and ultimately landed safely at LaGuardia Airport without incident.
Delta Air Lines confirmed that its own flight crew was not aboard the aircraft, as the flight was operated by Republic Airways under the Delta Connection brand.
The incident raised concerns among aviation experts about communication accuracy during critical phases of flight.
Robert Sumwalt, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, weighed in on the situation in comments to CBS News.
“If the airplane would have landed at LaGuardia without receiving landing clearance, it would have been a very bad mistake,” Sumwalt said.
He added that the type of error was highly unusual based on his decades of experience in aviation.
“I flew for 31 years, I was an airline pilot for 24 years, [and] I’ve not heard of this particular error occurring. We want to learn from it, so we can keep it from happening again,” Sumwalt said.
The communication mix-up occurred just one week before another serious aviation incident at LaGuardia Airport.
Air Canada Express Flight 8646 collided with a Port Authority truck on Runway 4, resulting in the deaths of two pilots and injuries to 41 others.
While the Republic Airways incident did not result in injuries or damage, the proximity of the two events has drawn renewed attention to operational safety and coordination at one of the nation’s busiest air travel hubs.
The Federal Aviation Administration and airline officials continue to review such incidents to identify contributing factors and prevent similar errors in the future.
