The thought of a plane crash is unsettling for any frequent flyer, and mid-air collisions are particularly nightmarish. The idea of two aircraft hurtling through the sky and colliding represents a worst-case scenario. While numerous procedures are in place to minimize the risk of such events, accidents, unfortunately, can and do still occur. According to transportation officials, the risk of a mid-air collision is notably elevated at Hollywood Burbank Airport.
Hollywood Burbank Airport, a regional facility situated in Los Angeles County, California, serves a wide array of airlines. Major carriers like American Airlines, Delta, and United operate flights to and from the airport. Additionally, several budget-friendly airlines, including Southwest Airlines, Frontier, Allegiant, and Spirit, also utilize its services.
Concerns are being voiced by commercial airlines, according to an official from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Jennifer Homendy, the NTSB Chair, remarked during a board meeting in early 2026, “Burbank is one where commercial airlines have called me to say the next midair is going to be at Burbank.”
Heightened Collision Risks at Hollywood Burbank Airport
Following a recent close call at Hollywood Burbank Airport, anxieties surrounding collision risks have intensified. Homendy indicated that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not adequately addressed the warnings issued by commercial airlines. The airport, though medium-sized, experiences substantial air traffic from both airplanes and helicopters. Its runways are relatively short, and the available airspace is constrained, contributing to a situation where pilots find it challenging to navigate. “The FAA has to ensure safety. That is their job,” Homendy emphasized.
Just a few weeks after the NTSB Chair’s statements, on March 2, 2026, a near-miss incident occurred at Hollywood Burbank Airport. The FAA reported that a Beechcraft 99 was cleared for landing when it encountered a helicopter on its final approach path. The two aircraft were on converging trajectories until the helicopter executed a right-hand turn to avoid the Beechcraft. The swift reaction of the pilots averted what could have been a catastrophic plane crash.
This incident was not an isolated event. In 2023, another close call transpired at the same airport. A Mesa Airlines flight was in the process of landing simultaneously as a SkyWest Airlines flight was taking off. Reports from the Los Angeles Times indicated that the two aircraft narrowly avoided a collision.
FAA Implements New Safety Measures
Dan Feger, the former executive director at Hollywood Burbank Airport, expressed his hope that authorities would “wake up before the catastrophe that NTSB is warning about actually occurs,” in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. He also highlighted staffing shortages at the radar approach control facility as a contributing factor to safety concerns.
In the wake of the near-collision in early March, the FAA announced significant changes designed to bolster safety protocols. Previously, the approach to preventing collisions between aircraft and helicopters relied on a “visual separation” method. The new policy, as outlined in an FAA statement on March 18, 2026, “mandates that air traffic controllers will instead use radar to actively manage these aircraft to keep them separated at specific lateral or vertical distances.”
While this new policy represents a positive step, questions remain about its sufficiency in fully addressing the collision risk at Hollywood Burbank Airport. Randy Klatt, a flight safety officer with the Foundation for Aviation Safety and a former Navy pilot, suggested to the Los Angeles Times that further restrictions on flight operations are necessary. “We have to put more restrictions on where and when flights can take place,” he stated. Klatt also advised passengers to consider flying during less congested times, such as early morning or late at night, and to explore flying with airlines known for their safety records and minimal incident history.
