FAA Probing Collision Alarm on Flight Bound for O'Hare

A collision-avoidance alarm went off inside the cockpit of an American Airlines flight bound for O'Hare Airport over the weekend, and the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

The collision-avoidance system alarm sounded just as American Airlines Flight 1884, which originated in Arkansas, was approaching O'Hare from the south for a 6 p.m. Sunday landing. The alert went off as the aircraft was crossing over Downstate Ottawa, where several skydiving venues are located, according to Tony Molinaro, an FAA spokesman.

The plane, which was at 16,000 feet, got an alert in the cockpit showing that it was near an aircraft that was at 14,500 feet and four miles apart horizontally, Molinaro said. It appears the other plane may have been a two-engine turboprop, possibly a sky-diving aircraft, he said.

The FAA had no information late Monday on whether the American Airlines pilot had to take evasive action. The agency will review an incident report filed by the airline, radar data, and cockpit and air traffic control audio recordings to determine what happened.

An American spokeswoman referred inquiries to the FAA.

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