Near miss near Teterboro fuels push for aircraft location technology

On Feb. 13 a Learjet carrying eight people descended sharply after its traffic-alert system warned of an imminent collision with a smaller plane near Teterboro, N.J. The pilot, Derek Long, said the other aircraft crossed “right across the nose” of his jet; a recording of the incident was later posted on a YouTube aviation channel.

The close call has become a rallying point for supporters of the ROTOR Act, which would require nearly all aircraft to broadcast location information to alert nearby pilots. The bill, passed unanimously by the Senate in December, faces resistance in the House, where some Republicans are promoting an alternative and the Defense Department has raised late-stage objections about cost and operational security.

Advocates argue the legislation would extend collision alerts into lower-altitude phases of flight and use a less expensive broadcasting system than the traffic collision avoidance system, or TCAS, which does not provide warnings below 1,000 feet.

United States, Teterboro, New Jersey

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