This article is the third in a series on landmark events in aviation since Flight Safety Foundation began in 1945.
An airliner flies a holding pattern at 3,000 ft, with a solid overcast above. Below, mist limits visibility. The aircraft’s gray paint scheme blends with what little horizon is discernible.
Meanwhile, a Cessna 172 on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan approaches the fix where the airliner is holding. The decade-old Cessna’s white paint has dulled and darkened with age. The Cessna presents even less outline than the gray jet. An alert air traffic controller sees the potential conflict and calls out a warning to the airliner.
But the call gets blocked by another aircraft checking in on the frequency. Through no fault of his own, the controller does not realize no one heard the warning. The airliner and the Cessna are now on a collision course. The airliner’s pilots cannot see the Cessna. The Cessna pilot is looking down at a cha…
