Alaska Airlines 737, cargo plane have near miss

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, May 28 (UPI) -- An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 and a cargo plane had a near miss Tuesday after coming within a quarter mile of each other over Fire Island, Alaska, officials said.

Alaska Airlines Flight 135 that originated from Portland, Ore., was lining up to land at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport when pilots received instructions from air traffic controllers instructing them to perform a "go around."

The maneuver was ordered so the passenger jet would avoid hitting an outbound Ace Air Cargo Beechcraft 1900, en route to Sand Point, Alaska, National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Clint Johnson said.

John said the quarter-mile proximity between the two planes counted as a "near miss."

The passenger jet later landed at the airport without incident.

The NTSB is investigating the cause of the incident.