NEW YORK- A Republic Airways (YX) Embraer ERJ-170-100LR, registration N879RW, operating as flight RPA5752 / Delta Air Lines (DL) DL5752, was on approach from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) when the flight crew contacted the wrong tower.
After establishing on the localizer, the crew was instructed to switch to tower frequency, but checked in with John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Tower rather than LaGuardia Tower.
Upon realizing the error, the Kennedy (JFK) Tower controller confirmed the crew’s position and instructed them to contact LaGuardia (LGA) Tower immediately. The flight crew acknowledged, declared a go-around, and climbed to a safe altitude before repositioning for a new approach.
Delta Pilots Contact Wrong ATC
The incident began during the final stages of the flight from Washington Reagan National (DCA) to New York LaGuardia (LGA).
As the aircraft established on the Instrument Landing System (ILS) for Runway 4R at LaGuardia (LGA), the approach controller cleared the crew at their discretion and instructed them to contact the tower.
The crew made contact, but instead of reaching LaGuardia (LGA) Tower, they checked in on the frequency for Kennedy (JFK) Tower.
The JFK Tower controller initially responded, issuing a wind check and a landing clearance for Runway 4R, seemingly unaware in the first moments that the aircraft was not inbound to Kennedy.
The crew acknowledged the clearance and continued the approach. About a minute into the exchange, the Kennedy controller asked “Who?” after hearing the callsign again, signaling a moment of confusion on both ends.
When the crew identified themselves as “Recaro 5752” on the two-mile final for Runway 4R, the Kennedy (JFK) controller directly asked, “At LaGuardia?” The crew confirmed, and the controller responded clearly: “This is Kennedy Tower, please go to LaGuardia Tower.” The crew reacted with surprise and immediately initiated a go-around.
LaGuardia Tower then took control of the situation. The crew received instructions to fly runway heading and climb to 2,000 feet, followed by a further climb to 3,000 feet and a handoff back to approach on frequency 127.3.
The crew complied with all instructions, and the aircraft repositioned for a new approach without further incident.
ALSO READ: Delta A321 Pilot Calls New York ATC Controller an ‘IDIOT’
Why does the New York Airspace Makes Frequency Errors?
New York City hosts three major commercial airports, including LaGuardia (LGA), John F. Kennedy International (JFK), and Newark Liberty International (EWR), all within a 12-mile radius of Manhattan.
The New York City airspace is the second-busiest in the world, moving approximately 1.3 million flights per year and averaging around 3,500 flights per day. In such a congested environment, the number of active ATC frequencies at any given time is high, and the margin for error during frequency changes is narrow.
During a typical ILS approach, the flight crew manages checklists, monitors instruments, and handles ATC communications simultaneously. A frequency change from approach to tower happens at a critical, high-workload phase of flight.
With multiple airports using similar runway designations, such as Runway 4R appearing at both LaGuardia (LGA) and Kennedy (JFK), a crew tuning the wrong frequency may not immediately notice the error, especially if the responding controller initially issues a plausible-sounding clearance.
The audio record of this incident shows that the Kennedy (JFK) controller responded to the crew’s initial call and even issued a landing clearance before the geographical mismatch became apparent.
This highlights an important safety layer: ATC controllers play a key role in catching crew errors, particularly when a crew appears to be operating normally but on the wrong frequency.
The Go-Around as a Safety Response
A go-around is a standard, trained procedure used to abort a landing approach when safety cannot be assured. In this case, the crew executed it promptly after the Kennedy (JFK) Tower controller identified the confusion and directed them to LaGuardia (LGA) Tower.
The crew climbed to 2,000 feet on runway heading, then continued to 3,000 feet before being handed back to approach control for a new ILS sequence.
The swift response from both the crew and the Kennedy (JFK) controller prevented any safety risk to the aircraft or to traffic at LaGuardia (LGA). No injuries or damage were reported.
The incident serves as a reminder that go-arounds, though sometimes viewed as disruptions, exist precisely for moments when the approach environment is not fully verified.
Pilot and ATC Transcription
Here’s a detailed transcription between Republic Airways pilots operating a flight on behalf of a Delta connection and New York ATC Towers as flagged by YouCanSeeATC and recorded by LiveATC.net:
Approach Control to RPA5752 | 0:14 “Recaro 5752, speed to your discretion, contact Tower.”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 0:18 “Speed is our discretion, Recaro 5752.”
RPA5752 (Pilot) checks in on the wrong frequency — reaches JFK Tower instead of LGA Tower
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 0:26 “LaGuardia Tower, Recaro 5752, ILS Runway 4.”
JFK Tower | 0:29 “American 274, Kennedy Tower, wind 110 at 18, gusts 27, Runway 4R, cleared to land.”
American 274 | 0:39 “American 274, Runway 4R, cleared to land.”
JFK Tower | 0:43 “American 274, cleared to land, Runway 4R. American 274.”
JFK Tower to RPA5752 | 0:49 “Again, Recaro 5752, Kennedy Tower, wind 120 at 4, Runway 4R, cleared to land. Caution wake turbulence, preceding Nose 13.”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 0:55 “Cleared to land, Recaro 5752.”
JFK Tower to American 274 | 1:00 “American 274, cleared to land, Runway 4R.”
JFK Tower begins to suspect a mismatch
JFK Tower | 1:05 “That’s, uh… who?”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 1:06 “Recaro 5752.”
JFK Tower | 1:08 “Recaro 5752, LaGuardia Tower?”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 1:10 “Recaro 5752.”
JFK Tower | 1:14 “I’m sorry, where are you?”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 1:16 “Two-mile final, Recaro 5752.”
JFK Tower | 1:20 “Two-mile final, where?”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 1:22 “Runway 4R.”
JFK Tower | 1:23 “At LaGuardia?”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 1:24 “Yes, ma’am.”
Error confirmed — crew redirected to correct frequency
JFK Tower | 1:25 “This is Kennedy Tower. Please go to LaGuardia Tower.”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 1:28 “Oh my goodness, alright.”
JFK Tower | 1:32 “That’s crazy.”
LGA Tower takes control — go-around initiated
LGA Tower | 1:36 “Recaro 5752?”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 1:39 “Yeah, 5752, we’re going around.”
LGA Tower | 1:41 “Okay, you just checked on?”
LGA Tower | 1:45 “Recaro 5752, fly runway heading, climb and maintain 2,000.”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 1:48 “Runway heading, 2,000, Recaro 5752.”
LGA Tower | 1:56 “Recaro 5752, continue on runway heading, climb and maintain 3,000. Re-contact Approach on 127.3.”
RPA5752 (Pilot) | 2:03 “Runway heading to 3,000, 127.3, Recaro 5752.”
About the Aircraft and Operator
Republic Airways (YX) is a regional carrier headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. It operates services for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines using a fleet of Embraer 170 and 175 regional jets.
Flight DL5752 operates as a Delta Connection service, with Republic Airways crews flying under the Delta Air Lines branding on the DCA to LGA route. The aircraft involved, an Embraer ERJ-170-100LR registered N879RW, is a standard regional jet used across the U.S. domestic network.
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