Overview

• United Flight 1152 veered left after takeoff on May 13, entering the path of SkyWest Flight 5273 which had departed from a parallel runway at San Francisco International Airport.
• At their closest point the jets were just 0.4 nautical miles apart horizontally and 280 feet vertically before a traffic-alert warning prompted an evasive maneuver.
• United’s first officer followed incorrect flight-management system guidance indicating a left turn rather than the authorized right turn.
• Air traffic control confusion contributed when the controller twice said “fly runway heading” instead of “fly present heading” while managing multiple flights.
• The FAA has opened a formal inquiry, examining tower audio and cockpit data to determine root causes and bolster safety protocols.