The Swissair plane nearly collided with four other planes on the runway at JFK Airport

subway

by Ronnie Reyes

A Swissair plane nearly collided with four other planes at JFK Airport after a communications error put them on the runway at the same time.

The Swissair flight to Zurich was set to take off on April 17 and began pulling down the runway, but hit the brakes after noticing that air traffic control had also cleared the way for four other planes. ABC 7 reports.

Air traffic control audio from the airport captured the moment the Swissair plane was given the green light to take off on runway 4L, only for the pilot to notice another plane moving nearby.

“The Swiss Heavy 17K refuses to take off. Traffic on the runway,” the pilot told air traffic control.

Swissair praised its staff's quick thinking in canceling take-off and averting a potential tragedy at New York's airport.

“Due to the high level of situational awareness and quick reaction of our crew, the dangerous situation was quickly de-escalated,” Swissair said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident.

The agency did not immediately respond to The Post's request for additional information.

The near-crash at JFK Airport occurred just one day before two other planes crashed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington, D.C.

As with the New York incident, two planes at the Virginia airport were cleared to take off on the same runway at the same time, according to the FAA.

It took about 30 seconds for air traffic controllers to realize the error and urgently asked the JetBlue and Southwest Airlines planes to stop before they collided.