Mid-air collision

computer-generated image of Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 and a business jet about to collide

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A mid-air collision is an aviation accident in which two or more aircraft come into contact during flight. Due to the relatively high velocities involved and any subsequent impact on the ground or sea, very severe damage or the total destruction of at least one of the aircraft involved usually results.^{[citation needed]} The chance of surviving a major mid-air collision is virtually nil in the absence of ejector seats and parachutes,^{[citation needed]} as indicated below.

The potential for a mid-air collision is increased by miscommunication, error in navigation, and deviations from flight plans. However, the odds are fantastically slim that two aircraft could collide in a large and virtually empty three dimensional space, making mid-air collisions very rare events compared to other types of aviation incidents.^{[citation needed]}

Recent efforts to prevent military collisions in the United States

There are many types and causes of mid-air collisions. On some occasions, military aircraft conducting training flights inadvertently collide with civilian aircraft. Before 1958, civilian air traffic controllers guiding civilian flights and military controllers guiding military aircraft were both unaware of the other's aircraft. The 1958 collision between United Airlines Flight 736 and a fighter jet as well as another military/civilian crash lead to the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 and creation of the modern day Federal Aviation Administration and providing unified control of airspace for both civil and military flights. In 2005, as part of an effort to reduce such military/civilian mid-air collisions in U.S. airspace, the Air National Guard Flight Safety Division, led by Lt Col Edward Vaughan, used the Disruptive Solutions Process to create the See and Avoid web portal. In late 2006, the U.S. Defense Safety Oversight Council (DSOC) recognized and funded the site as its official civil/military midair collision prevention website, with participation by all the services. In 2008, this site is expected to expand to include international airspace where U.S. military aircraft operate.^{[citation needed]}

List of notable civilian mid-air collisions

List of notable military mid-air collisions

XB-70 62-0207 following the mid-air collision on 8 June 1966.

See also

• Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B)
• Aviation accidents and incidents
• Disruptive Solutions Process
• Near miss
• Portable Collision Avoidance System (PCAS)
• Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)

External links

• Analysis of Mid-Air Collisions, One of the most hazardous consequences of a loss of separation between aircraft, including as a result of a level bust, is a mid-air collision SKYbrary
• Indepth Backgrounder: Mid-air collision, CBC
• SeeAndAvoid, DoD Civil-Military Midair Collision Prevention Portal
• Interactive Web Site Helps Pilots ‘See and Avoid’ Midair Collisions, DefenseLink Press Release
• Low Altitude Military Aircraft Deconfliction Webtool