Frontier pilot performs ‘go around’ avoiding a collision at RSW

A pair of planes nearly collided on a Southwest Florida International Airport runway before a pilot’s split-second decision to ascend hundreds of feet.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to WINK News the Frontier pilot performed a ‘go around’ because another aircraft was on the runway.

According to the Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Frontier Airlines, “As Flight 3796 in-bound from Cleveland was preparing to land yesterday afternoon at Southwest Regional International Airport in Ft. Myers, the air traffic control tower instructed the pilots to execute a go-around maneuver due to an aircraft on the landing runway. The aircraft’s captain did so and the flight landed safely a short while later.”

The FAA says that ‘safe separation was maintained’ between the aircraft.

A map from Flight Aware shows a Frontier plane approaching the runway and then suddenly looping around multiple times, 100 feet from the ground, and that climb was to over 2,000 feet in less than a minute.

WINK News spoke to a passenger on the plane who said the flight attendant next to him kept a good poker face but later said they were worried.

Wheels up on Frontier flight 3796 was smooth.

“It was a flight from Cleveland to RSW,” said John Cunniff, a passenger aboard the RSW-destined flight.

Cunniff was in Cleveland for business and pleasure, and flying home to Southwest Florida International Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

“The flight was a little bumpy in spots but not out of the ordinary,” said Cunniff.

However, the nearly three-hour flight ended in a concerning fashion.

Flight 3796 did not have a clear runway to land.

“It seemed like a normal landing. We were just coasting. Until it seemed like, the very last minute that the pilot applied power and started to climb, and it took a moment to realize, oh, we had to change from landing to going around again,” said Cunniff.

Without a window seat, Cunniff was left unaware of how close the plane was to touchdown when the pilot’s quick maneuver was made.

Then, the plane quickly climbed to 2,000 feet in less than a minute.

“Our pilot handled it really well. You know, she obviously got the plane to a safe place and got us back down on the ground just fine,” said Cunniff.

While Cunniff hasn’t developed any fear of flying from the incident, he does have questions.

“I’d like to know how it happened, and who messed up? That seems like that shouldn’t happen at all. That shouldn’t even come close to happening,” said Cunniff.

Concerning who can answer why an incident like this can happen, specific details can be gathered from the air traffic control and or the FAA.

The air traffic control manages the air traffic, landing and takeoff clearances.

Frontier Airlines is unable to answer why the situation had occurred.

The FAA said they’re looking into it.