Huge Swiss Air jet nearly collides with four other planes on JFK runway after being cleared for takeoff - a day after DC air traffic controllers sent JetBlue plane into path of Southwest flight

A Swiss Air jet nearly collided with four other planes at JFK airport, after a communication error sent the jets across a runway as it prepared to take off. 

The incident happened last week and is now being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, after the quick thinking pilot aborted takeoff. 

The A330 had been given the all clear to take off from the New York airport and was barreling down the runway at 40mph, even though four other jets were crossing the same stretch of tarmac from taxiways. 

Despite the green light, the pilot noticed air traffic control had also cleared four other planes to cross the same runway. 

Audio taken from air traffic control have confirmed that the flight was cleared for takeoff, before the pilot says: 'Swiss 17k heavy rejecting takeoff. Traffic on the runway.'

The A330 had been given the all clear to take off from the New York airport and was speeding down the runway (file photo)

This graphic shows how the A330, in white, began traveling down a runway that four planes were crossing

Had it stayed on course, it would have been on course to collide with four other planes  

The airline said: 'Due to the high level of situational awareness and quick reaction of our crew, a potentially dangerous situation was quickly de-escalated.'

Robert Sumwalt, executive director of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University told CBS: 'It's a situation of one controller not knowing what the other controller is doing.

'That is a totally unacceptable situation, as it turns out this is not what I would call a close call. Still it is not something that should happen.' 

While John Nance, aviation expert and ABC News contributor told ABC7: 'Moving four aircraft across an active runway and one controller not talking to another indicates a special level of stress.'

The incident last week came just one day after another close call at Washington's Reagan National Airport. 

Two packed airplanes came within 400 feet of each other, after a JetBlue flight was cleared for takeoff. 

The pilot was forced to slam on the brakes after Air Traffic Control noticed they had also cleared a Southwest Airlines plane to taxi across that same runway. 

In audio obtained from Air Traffic Control, the controller can be heard saying: 'Southwest stop! Southwest 2937 stop!'

Two packed airplanes came within 400 feet of each other, after a JetBlue flight was cleared for takeoff

The pilot was forced to slam on the brakes after Air Traffic Control noticed they had also cleared a Southwest Airlines plane to taxi across that same runway

Southwest Airlines Flight 2937, which was bound for Orlando, Florida, took off from the airport at 7:47 a.m., according to FlightAware. 

JetBlue flight 1554 was bound for Boston, with the flight taking off from Reagan National at 1:48 p.m. 

JetBlue said in a statement that the flight aborted takeoff because of another aircraft trying to cross the runway, but no injuries were reported. 

The aircraft was inspected before it left for Boston and JetBlue said it will 'work closely with federal officials as this event is fully investigated.' 

Southwest said in a statement that it was aware of the incident and was 'working with the FAA to fully understand the circumstances.' 

In the fiscal year through September 30 last year, 'significant' air traffic control lapses jumped 65 percent from the year previous.

This accounted for 503 incidents, according to internal FAA data reviewed by the New York Times.

Controllers say that due to staffing shortages, they are often forced to work 10-hour shifts six days a week, on irregular schedules that leave them exhausted, mentally depressed, and turning to alcohol to cope.

In a statement, the FAA said the lengthy Times report 'does not reflect the high level of safety of our nation's airspace.'

The administration also added that it is 'deeply committed to the health and well-being of our air traffic controllers and all of our employees'. 

In 1977, two Boeing 747 jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, killing 583 people. 

KLM Flight 4805 had initiated its takeoff directly towards a Pan Am aircraft, causing a fire. 

The two planes had been diverted to Tenerife due to a terrorist alert at Gran Canaria airport.