Near Collision at Newark Airport Involved Alaska Airlines and FedEx Planes

A near collision between an Alaska Airlines 737 and a FedEx 777 cargo plane occurred at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Tuesday evening, March 18, 2026. The incident happened as both aircraft were attempting to land on intersecting runways, according to radar data from FlightRadar24.

Details of the Incident

The Alaska Airlines flight, arriving from Portland, Oregon, and the FedEx flight, arriving from Memphis, Tennessee, were involved in the close call around 8:17 p.m. Air traffic control instructed the Alaska Airlines plane to abort its landing seconds before touchdown, even as the aircraft was approximately 150 feet in the air. The FedEx plane continued its landing on the intersecting runway.

Close Proximity

Preliminary data from Flightradar24 indicates the Alaska Airlines plane cleared the FedEx plane by a mere 300 to 325 feet.

Airline Responses

As of the time of this report, Alaska Airlines and FedEx have not yet issued official statements regarding the incident.

Previous Incident at Newark

This incident follows another event at Newark Liberty International Airport on March 2, 2025, where a FedEx cargo plane made an emergency landing after a bird strike caused an engine fire. The plane, headed for Indianapolis, experienced engine damage and a subsequent fire, but all three crew members landed safely. Air traffic was briefly halted as a precaution during that event. Source

Flight Tracking Information

For those seeking to track flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, resources are available online. Newark Airport’s Flight Tracker and FlightStats provide real-time arrival information.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.