On February 20, 1981, Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 342, operated by a Boeing 707-387B, nearly hit the transmitting antenna of the North Tower of the

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may also refer to: Buildings * World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

during its approach to

John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...

. The

air traffic controller An Air traffic controller (ATC) is a person responsible for the coordination of traffic in their assigned airspace. Typically stationed in area control centers or control towers, they monitor the position, speed, and altitude of aircraft and c ...

's intervention avoided the impact with less than 90 seconds of distance between the aircraft and the North Tower.

Incident

Flight 342 departed from

Ministro Pistarini International Airport Ministro Pistarini International Airport () , also known as Ezeiza International Airport owing to its location in Ezeiza in Greater Buenos Aires, is an international airport south-southwest of the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, the capital c ...

at 08:00 AM, with scheduled stopovers at

José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (; ) is an international airport serving Guayaquil, the capital of the Guayas Province and the most populous city in Ecuador. It is the second busiest airport in Ecuador. The airport was named aft ...

and

Miami International Airport Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically as Wilcox Field, is the primary international airport serving Miami and its Miami metropolitan area, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Florida. It hosts over 1, ...

. After taking off from

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

around 6:30 PM, the aircraft headed to New York City with an estimated arrival time of 9:00 PM (Eastern Time). However, due to adverse weather conditions – dense clouds and rain – visibility was limited. During the approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport, the crew was instructed to descend to 2,700 feet but misinterpreted the command and descended to 1,500 feet. At the time, the aircraft was on a collision course with the transmitting antenna located at the top of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, whose total height was 1,730 feet. Air traffic controller Donald Zimmerman of the

TRACON Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled air ...

center in New York detected on radar that the aircraft was descending to a dangerous altitude. The

Ground proximity warning system A Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) is a system designed to alert pilots if their aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground or an obstacle. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines GPWS as a type of ...

(GPWS) was activated, and Zimmerman contacted the crew, asking for their altitude. Confirming that they were flying at 1,500 feet, he immediately ordered, "Argentine 342, turn right immediately and set course 180°." Seconds later, he added, "Argentine 342, ascend, ascend immediately, hold at 3,000 feet." The crew executed a sharp right turn and began a rapid ascent. The aircraft drove away from

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

and stabilized its altitude at 3,000 feet, averting disaster with a margin of less than 90 seconds. Subsequently, the crew completed a new approach and landed safely at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Aftermath

Following the incident, Zimmerman took trauma leave, a common practice after high-stress events. The

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...

(FAA) launched an investigation into what happened. Days later,

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

published an article highlighting Zimmerman's quick action and questioning the operational safety of

Aerolíneas Argentinas Aerolíneas Argentinas, formally ''Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A.'', is the state-owned flag carrier of Argentina and the country's largest airline. The airline was created in 1949, from the merger of Aeroposta Argentina (AA), Aviación del Lito ...

. New York Congressman Jonathan B. Bingham called for a review of approach procedures at congested airports like John F. Kennedy International Airport.

References

{{Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in the 1980s Aviation accidents and incidents in 1981 Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1981 Aviation accidents and incidents in New York City Airliner accidents and incidents in New York (state) February 1981 in North America Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 707 Aerolíneas Argentinas accidents and incidents

Incident

Aftermath

See also

References