Close Call Prompts Airline Statement

On the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 9, Mexicana Airlines flight MX819 bound for Chicago O'Hare (ORD) airport from Guadalajara/Morelia was in violation of safety standards established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by flying too closely to another aircraft upon its final approach to the airport.

The airline says, contrary to published reports, the aircraft's pilot, Capt. Enrique Guadarrama, was immediately alerted to the issue by the anti-collision system of the A319 aircraft and subsequently implemented the proper evasion maneuvers specifically designed for such cases. The pilot landed the plane safely at 6:45 p.m. CST, and neither the passengers nor the crew were injured.

Following the incident, Mexicana says it immediately contacted the FAA and have since been providing our full cooperation in the routine investigation of the incident. "We are currently conducting our own internal investigation into the incident to determine specifically what happened and ensure that such an incident is avoided in the future. We will continue to keep both our customers and the authorities informed as more information becomes available," Mexicana said in a statement to Aero-News.

"At Mexicana Airlines, passenger safety is our highest priority. Through the use of the most modern flight simulator in Latin America, our crews receive extremely advanced and thorough training in our Mexico City training facility," the airline statement said.

FMI: www.mexicana.com.mx