Source: China News Weekly
On September 16, local time, U.S. President Donald Trump travelled to the United Kingdom for a state visit by Air Force One. The aircraft just took off from the Andrews Joint Base in Maryland and crashed into a civilian aircraft when it flew over New York.
According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, a Spirit Airlines Airbus A321 passenger plane was approaching the height of the Presidential Special Flight over Long Island, at a parallel flight, with the shortest distance between the two aircraft being only about 8 miles (about 12.8 kilometers).
Air traffic controllers quickly realized that there was a risk of intersection of the two planes and immediately issued an emergency order demanding the immediate evacuation of Flight 1300.
In the recording published by LiveATC, the airport aviation communication website, you can hear the air traffic control calling urgently many times: "Spirit 1300, turn right 20 degrees immediately!" And special reminder, "There is a 747 about 6 to 8 miles to your left... I think you can see whose plane it is-blue and white." Air Force One is marked with blue and white painting, showing its special identity and protected status.
In the recording, the air controller's tone was obviously dissatisfied, and even issued a strict reminder: "I have to say twice every command!
Why flying on an iPad?
The "iPad" mentioned by the controller in the recording is not an ordinary consumer device, but an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) operated by the crew.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, the EFB system consists of hardware and software used in the cockpit or cabin to support flight operations. It is usually carried by tablets (such as iPads) or embedded devices, can display a variety of aviation information data, and can perform basic performance calculations, distribution calculations and other critical operations.
Large airlines such as American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have fully introduced the EFB system, and Spirit Airlines also completed the EFB transformation of the entire fleet in 2015. However, EFB systems with powerful functions are also accompanied by strict usage specifications. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization have clear requirements for this.
For example, the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States clearly stipulates the use rights and restrictions of the EFB system in different flight phases in Article 120-76E of the Advisory Notice: pre-flight planning, taxiing inspection and takeoff preparation are allowed during the ground phase, and can be used relatively freely during cruise. However, behaviors such as unauthorized equipment failure to pass necessary tests are also explicitly prohibited, especially in critical stages such as takeoff and landing, and any complicated multi-step input and operations that may distract attention are strictly prohibited.
Responding to the “playing iPad behavior” mentioned in the recording, Spirit also subsequently stated that 1,300 flights “followed all procedures and airborne instructions.”
"Safety is always our top priority," the airline told CBS. According to the data of FlightAware website, the flight took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport at 8:10 am and arrived in Boston at 11:13 am.
Headquartered in Florida, Spirit is a well-known U.S. low-cost airline operating mainly regular routes in the U.S., the Caribbean and Latin America. However, Spirit applied for bankruptcy protection in 2024 due to multiple factors, including long-term losses, high debt, rising post-epidemic costs, engine problems caused by flight shutdowns and a series of failures in merger plans.
In March 2025, Spirit Airlines completed its financial restructuring and emerged from bankruptcy protection. However, due to the need to improve operational efficiency and restore profitability, the company continued to reduce its scale in the future. In July this year, Spirit Airlines announced that it would start laying off about 270 pilots on November 1, while downgrading 140 captains on October 1 in an effort to save costs.
Crowded Long Island Airspace
After the incident, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration responded that the two aircraft kept regulated intervals throughout the process and did not break the safety threshold.
According to the regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration, the minimum horizontal separation of civil aviation aircraft during the cruise phase is 5 nautical miles (about 9.26 kilometers), and the vertical separation is usually 1,000 feet (about 305 meters). This standard is the basic guideline of global civil aviation control, and aims to ensure that aircraft have sufficient safety buffers even in busy airspace.
In order to improve flight safety, civil aviation aircraft are generally equipped with Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which can monitor the positioning, altitude and speed of surrounding aircraft in real time. Once the system detects a potential collision risk, it immediately issues an audible and visual warning to the crew and provides avoidance suggestions for climbing or descending.
U.S. presidential aircraft enjoy more thorough flight security and the highest air priority, and all civilian and military aircraft must be relieved during their journey. Air traffic control will work with the military to arrange other flights to re-plan the route or adjust the time of take-off. Special aircraft usually also have multiple protection measures such as fighter aircraft escort, dedicated radio communications and radar priority.
The Federal Aviation Administration will also set up a “Presidential Temporary Flight Restriction Zone” during the take-off and flight of the presidential aircraft, usually covering airspace between 18 and 55 kilometers in radius and at an altitude of approximately 5.5 kilometers or more.
The agency issued specific space-time scope through Navigation Notice (NOTAM) and stressed that pilots need to inquire in advance of the latest announcement.
For example, on September 13, a civilian aircraft, without permission, broke into Trump’s temporary restricted airspace near the Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey. The North American Air Defense Command immediately launched a combat aircraft to intercept, send a signalling bullet warning and direct it away from the restricted zone.
The airspace of new york and Long Island is one of the areas with the most intensive flight activities in the United States and even the world, with complex airspace structure and extremely high traffic flow. The area not only has many important aviation hubs such as JFK International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and MacArthur Airport on Long Island, but also has many general aviation airports and helicopter take-off and landing points.
Despite the dangerous incidents on the way, Trump arrived safely at London's Stansted airport that night for a state visit to Britain.
Author: The Early Morning