Regulations & Safety
United Airlines Jets Collide on Ground at Chicago O’Hare Airport
Two United Airlines jets collided at Chicago O’Hare in 2025 with no injuries, highlighting concerns over airport ground safety and staffing shortages.
On the afternoon of October 17, 2025, Chicago O’Hare International Airport became the scene of a ground collision involving two United Airlines jets. While such incidents on the tarmac are often low-speed, the event has cast a spotlight on the intricate and high-stakes environment of ground operations at one of the world’s busiest airports. The collision, which involved a taxiing passenger plane and a stationary aircraft, resulted in no injuries, a fortunate outcome that nonetheless fails to quell rising questions about airport safety protocols and the pressures facing the aviation industry.
The incident involved United Airlines Flight 2652, a Boeing 737 arriving from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with 113 passengers and five crew members on board. As it was taxiing toward its gate, it made contact with a stationary and unoccupied United Airlines Boeing 767. This event is not an isolated anomaly; it marks the second tarmac collision at O’Hare in 2025. This pattern, combined with broader, national-level discussions around aviation safety and staffing, elevates a local incident into a significant case study on the potential vulnerabilities within the U.S. air travel system.
For the passengers aboard UA2652, the flight from Jackson Hole had been routine until the final moments on the ground. As the Boeing 737 navigated the complex network of taxiways at O’Hare, it struck the horizontal stabilizer of the parked Boeing 767. According to United Airlines, the contact occurred while the arriving flight was moving toward its designated gate. The immediate aftermath saw the deployment of emergency vehicles to the scene, a standard procedure to ensure the safety of everyone involved and to assess the aircraft for damage.
Bill Marcus, a passenger seated in 22F, captured the scene from his window. He reported that the initial impact was not perceptible to him. The first indication of a problem came from the captain’s announcement, stating a need to “document what happened.” It was only then that Marcus looked out his window and realized their plane had collided with another. He described feeling a “shuddering” or “turbulence” not from the collision itself, but when the two aircraft were subsequently pulled apart. Upon deplaning, passengers were met with a notable presence of Chicago police officers, a detail Marcus felt underscored the seriousness with which officials were treating the situation.
The official response from United Airlines was swift, confirming the basic facts of the incident. The airline stressed that no injuries were reported and that all 113 customers and five crew members deplaned normally at the gate. While the damage to the aircraft is under investigation, the primary focus remains on the sequence of events that allowed a moving plane to come into contact with a stationary one in a controlled airport environment.
“It was a bit of a shock, honestly. [The pilot] said they need to document what happened, and that’s when I looked out my right window and saw our plane had collided with another United flight.” – Bill Marcus, Passenger on UA2652
This event gains significant weight when viewed in the context of recent history at O’Hare. In January 2025, a similar incident occurred when an American Airlines flight clipped a United flight while both were taxiing. In that case as well, no injuries were reported, but the repetition of such an event at the same airport within a year suggests a potential pattern that warrants closer examination of ground control procedures and pilot awareness.
The concerns are not limited to Chicago. Nationally, both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been focusing on enhancing runway and tarmac safety. The NTSB has identified this area as a critical concern, noting that the runway environment is a confined space where the risk of collision is heightened. In response to these risks, the FAA has been implementing new strategies, such as the Surface Safety Metric (SSM), to better identify and mitigate potential dangers before they result in incidents. These initiatives reflect a system-wide effort to move beyond simply reacting to accidents and toward proactively managing risk.
Passenger Bill Marcus voiced a concern that resonates with ongoing national news: the state of air traffic control. He openly wondered if the collision was related to “what’s going on in Washington” or a “shortage at all in people directing traffic.” His speculation is not unfounded. Reports preceding the incident highlighted significant air traffic controller staffing shortages across the country, with the FAA reportedly short by approximately 3,500 controllers. O’Hare itself experienced a ground delay on October 7, 2025, due to these very staffing issues. An ongoing government shutdown has been cited as a contributing factor, with essential personnel like air traffic controllers working without pay, a situation that has historically led to increased sick leave and further strain on an already stressed system. The October 17th tarmac collision at O’Hare, while thankfully resulting in no harm to passengers or crew, serves as a critical reminder of the fragility of airport ground operations. It is not merely an accident involving two aircraft but a symptom of potentially larger, systemic issues. The incident underscores the importance of the ongoing efforts by the NTSB and FAA to improve surface safety, but it also highlights the real-world consequences of external pressures like staffing shortages and government shutdowns on the national aviation infrastructure.
As investigations by the FAA and NTSB get underway, the focus will be on determining the precise cause of this latest collision. The findings will be crucial in implementing corrective actions, whether they relate to ground control procedures, pilot training, or airport infrastructure. For the traveling public, this event is a tangible example of why consistent funding, adequate staffing, and a relentless focus on safety protocols are not just bureaucratic talking points, but essential components for maintaining one of the safest modes of transportation in the world.
Question: What happened at Chicago O’Hare Airport on October 17, 2025? Question: Were any passengers injured in the collision? Question: Is this the first time an incident like this has happened at O’Hare? Question: What are the potential causes of the collision? Sources: WGN-TV Chicago
Ground Collision at O’Hare: A Deeper Look into Aviation Safety Concerns
The Incident of October 17th
A Pattern of Incidents and Systemic Pressures
Concluding Section
FAQ
Answer: A United Airlines Boeing 737 (Flight UA2652), taxiing to its gate after landing, made contact with a stationary, unoccupied United Airlines Boeing 767 on the tarmac.
Answer: No. According to United Airlines and passenger reports, there were no injuries among the 113 passengers and five crew members, and everyone deplaned normally.
Answer: No. This was the second reported tarmac collision between commercial jets at O’Hare in 2025. A similar incident involving an American Airlines and a United Airlines plane occurred in January 2025.
Answer: An official investigation is pending. However, the incident occurred amidst broader concerns about aviation safety, including reported nationwide shortages of air traffic controllers, which have specifically impacted operations at O’Hare.
Photo Credit: WGN Morning News
Regulations & Safety
Collins Aerospace Deploys Software to Prevent Wrong-Surface Landings
Collins Aerospace’s STARS ARV software alerts controllers to wrong-surface landings using FAA radar, now active at 13 US airports.
This article is based on an official press release from Collins Aerospace (RTX) and supplementary data regarding FAA safety initiatives.
In an effort to mitigate one of aviation’s most persistent safety risks, Collins Aerospace (an RTX business) has deployed a software-based solution designed to alert air traffic controllers when an aircraft lines up to land on the wrong runway, a taxiway, or even the wrong airport. The system, known as STARS Approach Runway Verification (ARV), is now operational at 13 airports across the United States.
According to Collins Aerospace, the technology integrates directly into the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) existing Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS), the primary platform used by controllers to manage air traffic in terminal areas. By utilizing existing surveillance data rather than requiring new ground hardware, the system aims to provide a rapid, scalable safety net for the National Airspace System.
The FAA has classified “wrong-surface landings” as one of the top five hazards in commercial and general aviation. These incidents occur when a pilot inadvertently aligns their aircraft with a surface other than their assigned runway. While often corrected before touchdown, the potential for catastrophe remains high, particularly if the mistaken surface is a taxiway occupied by other aircraft.
Data cited in safety reports indicates the scale of the issue. Between 2016 and 2018 alone, there were 596 wrong-surface events recorded in the U.S. National Airspace System. While 85% of these involved general aviation aircraft, commercial carriers are not immune. The development of technologies like ARV was accelerated following high-profile “close calls,” such as the July 2017 incident at San Francisco International Airport where an Air Canada jet nearly landed on a taxiway occupied by four fully loaded passenger planes.
Unlike systems that rely on new sensors installed on the airfield, STARS ARV is a software modification. It utilizes the radar and ADS-B data already feeding into the control tower. The system creates a geometric “capture box” or cone extending from the runway threshold.
If an approaching aircraft’s track falls outside this safe zone, indicating alignment with a taxiway or a closed runway, for a specific duration, the algorithm triggers a visual and audible alert for the controller. This allows the controller to issue immediate corrective instructions to the pilot.
“Any airport that has STARS can easily adapt and utilize ARV with no additional equipment.”
, Chris Rogers, Director of Automation at Collins Aerospace
The system has already demonstrated its efficacy in live operations. In the fall of 2023 at Lincoln Airport (LNK) in Nebraska, STARS ARV detected a private jet aligned with the wrong runway while the aircraft was still five miles out from the airport.
According to reports on the incident, the system triggered an alert in the tower, allowing the controller to radio the pilot well before the aircraft reached a critical point. Collins Aerospace executives described the event as a “point of pride,” noting that the early warning converted a potential accident into a routine course correction.
As of 2024, the FAA has deployed the STARS ARV system to 13 locations. These facilities range from major commercial hubs to smaller regional airports where visual confusion, often caused by parallel runways or complex taxiway layouts, can be a significant risk factor.
Confirmed Operational Locations:
The FAA has included this technology in its broader “Surface Safety Portfolio,” which also includes the Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) and Runway Incursion Devices (RID). Plans are reportedly in place to expand ARV deployment to dozens of additional facilities throughout 2025.
The deployment of STARS ARV represents a significant shift in aviation infrastructure strategy: the move toward software-defined safety. Historically, improving runway safety required pouring concrete, installing physical lights, or deploying expensive ground radar arrays (like ASDE-X).
By leveraging the existing STARS hardware footprint, the FAA and Collins Aerospace are demonstrating that legacy systems can be modernized with algorithmic upgrades. This approach is critical for regional and general aviation airports (like many on the current deployment list), which often lack the budget for heavy infrastructure projects but face the same human-factor risks, such as expectation bias, that plague larger hubs. We expect this “software-first” approach to become the standard for future airspace modernization efforts, allowing safety improvements to roll out months or years faster than traditional hardware projects.
New Software Upgrade Targets “Wrong-Surface” Landings at U.S. Airports
Addressing a Top 5 Aviation Hazard
How STARS ARV Works
Real-World Success: The Lincoln Airport Incident
Current Deployment and Future Plans
AirPro News Analysis
Photo Credit: RTX
Regulations & Safety
JetBlue Flight Avoids Collision with Dark US Military Tanker Near Curaçao
A JetBlue Airbus A320 flight avoided collision with a US military tanker flying without an active transponder near Curaçao, raising safety concerns.
This article summarizes reporting by NBC News and Yamiche Alcindor.
New details have emerged regarding a significant safety incident involving a commercial JetBlue flight and a U.S. military aircraft operating in international airspace near Venezuela. According to reporting by NBC News, the incident occurred on Friday, December 12, 2025, when a JetBlue Airbus A320 was forced to halt its climb to avoid a potential collision with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker that was not broadcasting its location.
The encounter, which took place near Curaçao, highlights the growing friction between civilian air traffic and increased military operations in the Caribbean. Audio recordings from the cockpit, obtained and released by NBC News, reveal a tense exchange between the commercial pilots and air traffic control immediately following the near-miss.
At AirPro News, we are tracking the implications of this event, particularly regarding the safety protocols for military aircraft operating in busy civilian corridors without active transponders.
JetBlue Flight 1112 had departed from Curaçao (CUR) and was en route to New York (JFK). Approximately 20 minutes after takeoff, while the aircraft was climbing through 33,000 feet, the flight crew visually identified a large military aircraft directly in their path at the same altitude.
According to the data summarized by NBC News, the military aircraft, identified as a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker, had its transponder turned off. This rendered the tanker invisible to the JetBlue aircraft’s automated collision avoidance systems until the pilots made visual contact. The commercial crew immediately stopped their climb to maintain vertical separation.
In the air traffic control audio released by NBC News, the JetBlue pilot expressed immediate frustration regarding the lack of electronic visibility:
“We almost had a midair collision up here. They passed directly in our flight path… They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous.”
The pilot estimated that the military jet passed within two to three miles of the commercial airliner’s nose. While this distance may sound substantial to a layperson, at cruising speeds, it represents a margin of seconds. The controller on duty in Curaçao reportedly agreed with the pilot’s assessment, noting that the situation with unidentified aircraft in the region had become “outrageous.” The primary safety failure in this incident stems from the military aircraft operating “dark”, flying without an active transponder. Transponders are essential for modern aviation safety, as they broadcast an aircraft’s altitude and position to both ground radar and other aircraft equipped with Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS).
According to the report, the U.S. military has increased its presence in the region for drug interdiction operations and to apply pressure on the Venezuelan government. While military aircraft often disable transponders during sensitive combat or stealth operations to avoid detection by adversaries, doing so in a standard civilian flight corridor poses severe risks.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has previously issued warnings to U.S. carriers regarding the “worsening security situations” near Venezuelan airspace, advising extreme caution. However, this incident suggests that the danger may not only come from foreign actors but also from coordination failures involving U.S. assets.
The Failure of De-confliction: While military necessity sometimes dictates stealth, the proximity of this incident to a major civilian airport (Curaçao) suggests a breakdown in “de-confliction”, the process of ensuring military and civilian flights do not occupy the same airspace simultaneously. The fact that the Curaçao air traffic controller was unaware of the tanker’s presence until the JetBlue pilot reported it indicates a lack of communication between military command and civilian air traffic authorities.
Systemic Risk: This is not an isolated technical glitch but a systemic risk inherent in mixed-use airspace. When “dark” targets operate near commercial lanes, the safety of passengers relies entirely on the “see and avoid” principle, which is less reliable at high altitudes and high speeds than automated radar systems.
Following the release of the details, the involved parties issued statements regarding the event:
Was anyone injured on JetBlue Flight 1112? Why do military planes turn off their transponders? How close did the planes actually get?
JetBlue Flight Takes Evasive Action Near Venezuela After Encounter with “Dark” Military Jet
“Harrowing Moments” in the Cockpit
The Risks of “Dark” Military Operations
AirPro News Analysis
Official Responses
Frequently Asked Questions
No injuries were reported. The aircraft took evasive action by halting its climb, but there were no reports of violent maneuvers that caused passenger injury.
Military aircraft may disable transponders to avoid detection by adversarial radar systems during sensitive operations. In this case, it was likely to avoid tracking by Venezuelan military radar.
The pilots estimated the horizontal separation was between 2 and 3 miles. Vertically, they were at the same altitude before the JetBlue crew halted their climb.Sources
Photo Credit: Reuters
Regulations & Safety
Airbus Launches Destination 10X to Enhance Global Aviation Safety
Airbus introduces Destination 10X to reduce accident rates by 10 times, addressing challenges from growing global air traffic with collaborative solutions.
This article is based on an official press release from Airbus and additional background data regarding industry safety trends.
As global air traffic projections indicate a doubling of flight volumes by 2040, Airbus has initiated a major safety platform titled Destination 10X. According to an official announcement from the manufacturer on December 9, 2025, the initiative aims to reduce the global aviation safety accident rate by a factor of 10, moving the industry benchmark from approximately one fatal accident per 10 million departures to one in 100 million.
The program represents a strategic shift from top-down regulatory mandates toward collaborative, “bottom-up” problem solving. By connecting airlines, regulators, and industry experts in regional workshops, Airbus intends to co-create pragmatic solutions for immediate threats, ranging from runway incursions to satellite navigation interference.
The core rationale behind Destination 10X is statistical necessity. Industry forecasts from organizations such as IATA and Airbus’s own Global Market Forecast predict annual traffic growth of 5-6% over the next 15 years. If the current accident rate remains static while traffic doubles, the absolute number of accidents would statistically double, a scenario Airbus leadership describes as untenable.
Yannick Malinge, Senior Vice President and Chief Product Safety Officer at Airbus, emphasized the urgency of this proactive approach in a statement regarding the initiative:
“We must ask ourselves the question ‘what could be the impact on Safety of a doubling of air traffic?’. Without industry-wide action to lower the accident rate, by 2030 we will be experiencing accidents more frequently. This is clearly unacceptable.”
To achieve the “10X” reduction, the platform focuses on voluntary information sharing rather than waiting for new regulations. This allows for faster implementation of safety tools, such as checklists, visual aids, and awareness campaigns designed directly by the flight and ground crews who use them.
Recent workshops facilitated by Destination 10X have identified and addressed specific operational hazards that have seen statistical upticks in recent safety reports.
With 2024 safety data indicating a rise in non-fatal incidents like runway excursions, Destination 10X working groups have targeted ground safety as a priority. According to Airbus, participants recently designed “serious comics”, educational storyboards, to improve situational awareness among pilots and ground crews during taxi and towing operations. These visual aids are digitized and distributed globally via the Destination 10X app, providing immediate, accessible training materials. A growing concern for operators, particularly in the Middle East and Europe, is the loss of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals due to radio frequency interference (jamming or spoofing). The platform has been used to disseminate best practices for utilizing alternative navigation aids, such as Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), when GPS is compromised.
Furthermore, Airbus has utilized these forums to brief operators on technical upgrades, including future Multi-Mode Receivers (MMR) designed to be more resilient to such interference.
The initiative relies heavily on regional engagement to capture local operational nuances. Following a European stakeholder event in November 2025, the platform is currently preparing for a South East Asia regional workshop scheduled for December 17–18, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Captain Anders Hedblom, Fleet Safety Manager at Qatar Airways, participated in a recent Middle East workshop and highlighted the value of the collaborative format:
“Everyone is brought into the discussion, promoting ideas and learning from others. Representing a large airline with global operations gave me a great opportunity to share our experiences.”
The launch of Destination 10X marks a significant evolution in aviation safety culture. Historically, major safety leaps have followed tragic accidents or strict regulatory overhauls. By attempting to improve safety metrics by an order of magnitude before the projected traffic surge fully materializes, Airbus is attempting to break the link between traffic volume and accident frequency.
However, the success of such a voluntary platform depends entirely on adoption. While “serious comics” and posters offer excellent accessibility, the challenge will be ensuring these “soft” tools translate into rigorous adherence to procedure in an increasingly crowded sky. The focus on GNSS interference is particularly timely, acknowledging that modern safety threats are often technological and external, rather than purely mechanical or aerodynamic.
Airbus Launches “Destination 10X” to Revolutionize Aviation Safety Standards
The Strategic Imperative: Scaling Safety with Growth
Operational Focus Areas
Mitigating Runway Incursions
Combating GNSS Interference
Regional Engagement and Industry Feedback
AirPro News Analysis
Sources
Photo Credit: Airbus
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