After near-miss, FAA changes Newark Liberty airport procedures

(AP) - The close call between two planes at Newark Liberty International Airport last month has prompted changes in the airport's takeoff and landing procedures.



The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that planes won't use east-west Runway 29 for arrivals at the same time planes are taking off on north-south Runway 4R.



It was at the intersection of these two runways that a United flight coming from San Francisco and an ExpressJet flight taking off for Memphis, Tennessee, came dangerously close to each other on April 24.



In a recently released preliminary report, the National Transportation Safety Board classified the incident as a near midair collision. The planes came within about 200 feet laterally of each other and 400 feet vertically.