The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a Delta Airlines plane inbound from Detroit nearly collided with a United flight arriving from San Francisco over the Phoenix airport.

The near mid-air collision occurred Saturday (1/11) morning as both flights were attempting to land at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Inbound Planes Avoid Mid-Air Collision in Phoenix

The Delta Airlines plane carrying 245 passengers was inbound from Detroit and had clearance to land at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The cockpit crew reports that a collision warning signal went off around 11 AM. KTVK-TV reports that a similar alarm was sounded on the United Airlines plane carrying 123 passengers. That plane had also received the green light to land.

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The FAA says the planes landed safely after "experiencing a loss of required separation when they were inbound." In layman's terms, the planes got too close to each other - one could say too close for comfort.

Air traffic control personnel issued "corrective instructions" to both flight crews.

What is the Safe Distance for Passenger Jets?

The CNN affiliate reports that the planes got within 425 feet of each other at one point. Seconds later, the aircraft were separated by just 1,200 feet or one-quarter of a mile.

A former chairman for the National Traffic Safety Board indicates that these types of planes should be no closer than five miles apart horizontally.

Aviation Nerd Captures Video

Justin Giddens is a Phoenix resident and calls himself an Aviation Nerd. He was out walking with his family when he observed the planes coming dangerously close to each other.

Some of Giddens' footage is included in the video below.

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