Safety
Blocked Comm Eyed in B737-Cessna Citation Near Collision
Business jet overflew the airliner by about 100 feet during the incident

Transcripts of ATC tapes reported by the Aviation Safety Network revealed that overlapping radio communications between the tower and aircraft may have contributed to a near-collision incident between a Cessna Citation XLS+ and a Southwest Boeing 737 at San Diego International Airport (KSAN) on August 11. The pertinent communications started at about 12:05 p.m.

According to the transcript, the tower controller cleared the Citation to land on Runway 27, which the crew acknowledged. The controller then told the Southwest crew to line up and wait on the same runway, which that crew also acknowledged. With spacing diminishing, the Citation attempted to ask the tower to verify the landing clearance, but at the same time the tower started transmitting to a Beech Baron—on the ground waiting to depart—about an amendment to its clearance.

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