Passenger jet forced to abort takeoff with seconds to spare in new close call at LaGuardia Airport

Another close call at a busy American airport just days before the Memorial Day travel rush.

A passenger jet was forced to abort takeoff to avoid a potential collision at LaGuardia airport on Tuesday, May 6 at about 12:35 a.m.

A LaGuardia air traffic controller gave American Eagle flight AA4736, operated by Republic Airways, the go-ahead for takeoff and then abruptly telling them to cancel.

United Airlines flight UA2657 was taxiing on the same runway at the time.

Before the Republic Airways flight reduced speed, the planes were just 0.27 miles away from each other, according to Flight Radar 24.

"Brickyard 4736 sorry about that, I thought United had cleared well before that," an air traffic controller says. "Just stay there for the moment and I got to get the other United off the way.

This incident occurred after another close call in February. A Southwest plane at Chicago's Midway airport was forced to do a go around after a business jet crossed the runway right as they were about to land.

The FAA has been installing new runway safety technology at airports across the country because of the frequency of these events.