In
aviation, a mid-air collision is an
accident in which two or more
aircraft come into unplanned contact during
flight. Owing to the relatively high velocities involved and the likelihood of subsequent impact with the ground or sea, very severe damage or the total destruction of at least one of the aircraft usually results.
The potential for a mid-air collision is increased by
miscommunication, mistrust, error in
navigation, deviations from
flight plans, lack of
situational awareness, and the lack of
Traffic collision-avoidance systems. Although a rare occurrence in general due to the vastness of open space available, collisions often happen near or at
airports, where large volumes of aircraft are spaced more closely than in general flight.
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