An Air Berlin plane nearly hit an El Al Israel airliner Thursday over Ben Gurion International Airport. The Air Berlin jet started its takeoff on a flight to Cologne as the El Al plane was coming in for a landing. The German airliner's pilot deviated from the course that he had been assigned, bringing the planes too close for comfort, 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) above the ground.
An alert air traffic gave an order to pilots of both planes to distance themselves from one another immediately. The German pilot was directed back to his assigned course and the El Al pilot received instructions that allowed him to circle the airport and make a routine landing. The near disaster has been attributed to an apparent pilot error.
Israel National Radio's Walter Bingham recently visited Ben-Gurion's control center. To listen, click here.