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Fast-Thinking Captain Averts Disaster in Near Miss at Colorado Airport, NTSB Report Reveals

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A quick-thinking captain of a Beechcraft B300 King Air narrowly avoided a catastrophic head-on crash at a regional Colorado airport last year, thanks to his swift actions in response to unclear communication between two aircraft and the traffic control center.

The incident occurred at Yampa Valley Airport (HDN) in Hayden and has recently been detailed in a report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

According to the NTSB's report released on Wednesday, the captain of the Beechcraft King Air made a chilling remark, saying, "I hope you don't hit us," as he was landing on runway 10 at Yampa Valley Airport. Simultaneously, a JetBlue Airbus A320 was departing from the same runway, resulting in a potentially disastrous situation.

Flight data analysis revealed that the two planes were approximately 2.2 miles apart when the incident occurred. The NTSB's final report, which concluded a near-yearlong investigation, identified the date of the incident as January 22, 2022. During JetBlue Airways flight 1748's takeoff from runway 10, a tail strike occurred, causing significant damage to the aircraft.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the incident, and the NTSB classified the tail strike as an accident. Video footage of the takeoff showed the plane entering a steep ascent, with the rear of the aircraft making contact with the ground.

Both aircraft had coordinated their flight plans with the Denver air route traffic control center (ARTCC) on the same day. The report revealed that the JetBlue crew believed the King Air was several miles away and intended to land on runway 10 behind them, leading them to assume they had clearance to proceed with their departure.

However, the King Air, in its communications, mentioned both "runway 28" and "runway 10," indicating its intention to land on the runway ahead and requiring it to be clear for landing.

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Yampa Valley Regional Airport, as per local reports, does not have flight controllers directing traffic. Instead, it relies on radio communication between aircraft and facilities in Denver to ensure safe travel.

The NTSB investigation highlighted poor communication as the root cause of this accidental misunderstanding.

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