LX Swiss A330 and AA poss 757 in VERY near miss at MIA

[jcb354]

I am based at MIA working on the scummy part of the business - cargo.
On leaving the office this evening (1735) a Swiss A330 and an American Airlines 757 or poss 737 were involved in a VERY near miss.
My view was from the south, and both aircraft were climbing and at approximately at 200 feet, same altitude, side by side.
The AA veered South at around 500 feet, the Swiss veered North at the same time.
Having checked schedule, the Swiss was due in 25 minutes before, so I can only assume that it was on a "go round", however I am dying to know how the hell they were both on the same runway, same altitude side by side.
At the time, inbound aircraft were landing on the southern runway at MIA...........not the northern.....
Anyone got any clues, because I tell you what - just the sight of them so close scared the living s**t out of me!
Would be glad to hear anything anyone knows!!!

[jerrystinger]

Been to MIA many times with BA on classics, 777s and 744s in my past life and lost count of the go-arounds we did!

[dallas dude]

jcb354

Don't know any specifics here but can tell you the MIA runway layout can be confusing even for regular users.

Three east/west parallels "offer" the chance to make a mistake, especially if tired from a long haul flight.

(Not intended as blame/excuse for either airplane-I wasn't there.)

dd

[GlueBall]

Simultaneous departures/arrivals on parallel runways is an approved procedure at many large airports, including MIA. :ooh:

[jcb354]

"Simultaneous departures/arrivals on parallel runways is an approved procedure at many large airports, including MIA"

Agreed and understood, but a departing aircraft and an arriving aircraft on same runway at same time? Surely ATC could have held the AA back and let the Swiss go round?

ATC MUST have known that the Swiss would have to go round at least 1 minute before OK'ing the AA to depart? They were within 100 ft of each other side by side on same runway.

There is simultaneous departures/arrivals on same runway, but simultaneous departures (classing the Swiss as a departure, because it pretty much made it) ?? Its not the Red Arrows, its PAX jets we are talking here!

[Spuds McKenzie]

Simultaneous departures/arrivals on parallel runways is an approved procedure at many large airports, including MIA.
Does that make it safe? :ooh:

[jcb354]

Anyone have any idea where I can get information on this?
I tried NTSB NASDAC database, but couldnt find anything at all.

[Mr Chips]

however I am dying to know how the hell they were both on the same runway, same altitude side by side.
Aircraft don'ttend to be on a runway at altitude... runways are those big long bits of tarmac on the ground. If you saw the aircraft "side by side" it is rather unlikely that they raced down the runway together.....

Possibly your angle of view gave you a perception of what what was happening....

[Avman]

What may have occured was a go around behind a (late) departure. Sure, it may have looked closer than it actually was but it can still look and be pretty hairy. I personally witnessed (and photographed) such an event many years ago at Las Vegas involving a SWA B737 and a Delta L-1011. The L-1011 went around as the B737 rotated. Quite a spectacular sight from where I was situated (abeam the threshold).

[alf5071h]

Also see the LAX incident “Asiana B744 vs. SWA B737 @ LAX” in this section. Is the apparent increase in the number of landing conflictions a USA phenomena or is it world wide?

[jcb354]

Avman:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What may have occured was a go around behind a (late) departure. Sure, it may have looked closer than it actually was but it can still look and be pretty hairy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I dont doubt that this was what it was - especially considering the Swiss was due to land at that time.
Being that I am less than 1/2 mile from the runway and look north, with an office that is parallel with the north and south runways, I had a very good viewpoint and believe that they were for certain parallel with maximum distance of 200 ft between them.

I cannot find a report of it, but would be interested to know how many Swiss passengers made friends with the AA passsengers in the 20 seconds that they were side by side waving at each other!

Mr Chips - although the aircraft had actually left the ground, they were still above the runway. Being that this was the case, when is a runway not a runway, or indeed being that they were still above the runway, could this be classed as a virtual runway until such time as off and away from the proximity? All valid points I believe, but please dont waste time posting stupid answers to them.

Thanks for all your help.

[Mr Chips]

JCB if tehy were above the runway, they weren't on it. hardly a stupid answer. Now kindly expalin how the pilots (presumably desperate to miss each other) managed to be side by side same level.. surely one was above the other. if one was carrying out a go-around it will have been above....

so perhaps you didn't actually see what you thought you saw

again.. hardly a stupid answer

[FakePilot]

Regarding parallel runway operation:

I take it it's allowed to have two aircraft side-by-side landing on parallel runways?
I saw this flying into SFO one time, we had another aircraft ride with us to touchdown. The really interesting part was when I first saw the other guy he was coming straight at us, and then turned to line up with his runway.

Yikes, I've confused runways in MSFS. I could believe it if someone told me "it can happen."