A quick-thinking pilot at JFK averted a catastrophic collision, as air traffic control mistakenly cleared multiple planes for takeoff on the same runway.

A dramatic near-collision was narrowly avoided at JFK International Airport on 17 April, when a pilot’s swift response prevented a crash involving four planes. Air traffic control had cleared a Swiss Air flight for takeoff, unaware that several other aircraft were also on the same runway. Upon realising the imminent danger, the pilot immediately aborted the takeoff, shouting, “Swiss 17K heavy rejecting takeoff. Traffic on the runway.”

The incident, which is now under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), was captured on air traffic control audio, recorded by LiveATC. The FAA confirmed that the Swiss Air flight had to abort its takeoff to avoid colliding with four other planes on the same runway. The details of the other airlines involved remain undisclosed by the FAA.

This incident follows a series of near-miss events at JFK this year. In January, a Delta Boeing 737 came within 1,000 feet of a taxiing American Airlines Boeing 777, narrowly avoiding a collision. Two days later, a JetBlue aircraft collided with the tail of another plane while leaving the gate.

This recent scare at JFK adds to other alarming incidents this year, including a similar near-collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where a JetBlue flight had to abort takeoff after an air traffic controller mistakenly cleared a Southwest Airlines flight to cross the same runway. Furthermore, last week the FAA grounded all Alaska Airlines planes for an hour due to a computer system malfunction.

The frequency of these incidents has raised concerns about aviation safety. Earlier this year, a Boeing aircraft was in the spotlight after a door plug fell off mid-flight, and a whistleblower from the company testified to Congress about serious safety concerns, claiming that the aircraft were not being built to meet specifications or safety requirements.