NEW YORK- A private jet departing Teterboro Airport (TEB) flew directly into the path of a United Airlines (UA) widebody on approach to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), forcing the airliner’s crew to react to a collision alert.
The aircraft involved was a Hawker 800XP registered N58DH, operating from Teterboro to Merida (MID) in Mexico. The other aircraft was United flight UA1981, a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner arriving from Los Angeles (LAX).
The conflict developed on the evening of July 8, 2026, and was captured in air traffic control audio published by the YouTube channel You can see ATC, which also released a visualization of the encounter.
Private Jet Came Close to United 787
The recording covers roughly eight minutes of repeated miscommunication between the private jet pilot and the departure controller. The pilot failed to comply with a series of instructions and appeared to lack situational awareness of his position relative to the arrival traffic around him.
The controller summarized the situation bluntly near the end of the exchange, telling the pilot he had “disregarded every single instruction.”
English was clearly not the pilot’s first language, which added friction to an already congested frequency. The audio does not indicate any mechanical problem with the aircraft. The confusion centered entirely on headings, altitudes, and readbacks.
United 787 Receives a TCAS Resolution Advisory
As the Hawker drifted off its assigned track, it entered the path of the arriving United Dreamliner. The situation escalated to the point where the Boeing 787-10 received a TCAS resolution advisory, requiring the flight crew to take avoidance action to prevent a possible collision.
A resolution advisory is not a caution. It is a command from the onboard collision avoidance system that pilots must follow immediately. Its activation confirms the two aircraft came uncomfortably close.
The United crew handled the event professionally and complied with the alert without incident. Both aircraft continued safely.
Where Air Traffic Control Contributed to the Problem
The private jet pilot carries the bulk of the responsibility, but the controller’s handling of the situation also allowed the problem to grow. Several specific points stand out from the audio, as flagged by OMAAT, are as follows:
Incorrect readback went uncorrected. The controller instructed the pilot to fly a heading of 260. The pilot read back a heading of 200. The controller did not catch the error. Correcting that single readback would have prevented most of what followed.
Delivery did not match the pilot’s ability. Given the language barrier, the controller’s fast speech and lengthy instructions increased the chance of misunderstanding rather than reducing it.
Frequency management was poor. An extended conversation between the controller and the United crew took place on the same busy frequency while the Hawker pilot was still visibly confused. That discussion could have been moved off frequency.
A direct question went unanswered. The pilot asked whether he should climb to 15,000 feet instead of the 6,000 feet he had been assigned. The controller did not respond to that question.
ATC / Pilot Communication
| Time | Station | Transmission |
|---|---|---|
| 00:15 | TEB TWR | “N58DH, winds are calm, Runway 24 cleared for takeoff.” |
| 00:18 | N58DH | “24 cleared for takeoff, 58DH, thank you.” |
| 00:25 | TEB TWR | “58DH, caution wake turbulence, heavy Dreamliner descending above you. Wind [unclear]. Contact Departure 119.2.” |
| 00:36 | N58DH | “58DH, contact Departure.” |
| 00:42 | N58DH | “Departure, November 58DH, [unclear — altitude report].” |
| 00:49 | NY DEP | “Citation 58DH, Newark Departure, radar contact. Fly heading 260, climb and maintain 6,000.” |
| 00:55 | N58DH | “260, climb and maintain 6,000, 58DH.” |
| 01:03 | NY DEP | “N58DH, stop your climb immediately. Stop your climb immediately.” |
| 01:06 | N58DH | “Stopping climb, right turn heading 280.” |
| 01:12 | NY DEP | “58DH, turn right immediately. Turn right heading 280. Stop the climb now.” |
| 01:18 | N58DH | “[unclear], 58DH.” |
| 01:20 | NY DEP | “Stop the climb now, N58DH. Stop the climb now. Turn right, turn right heading 290. What are you doing?” |
| 01:27 | N58DH | “290, 58DH, stopping climb.” |
| 01:32 | UAL1981 | “Tower, United 1983 — or 1981 — responding to an RA on 22L.” |
| 01:37 | ATC | “United 1981, roger. Just turn to your right. [unclear] climb now and respond to the RA.” |
| 01:45 | UAL1981 | “Yeah, we have a TCAS RA.” |
| 01:48 | UAL1981 | “Okay, 1981 Heavy, we’d like to go around now. We’re clear of conflict.” |
| 01:52 | ATC | “United 1981, roger. Climb and maintain 2,500 for now.” |
| 01:57 | UAL1981 | “2,500, United 1981 Heavy, runway heading for now.” |
| 02:00 | ATC | “For now, runway heading. [unclear] coordinate with Departure.” |
| 02:01 | UAL1981 | “Roger.” |
| 02:05 | ATC | “United 1981, traffic is off to your right now, about 2 o’clock and a mile. [unclear].” |
| 02:14 | NY DEP | “N58DH, climb and maintain 6,000.” |
| 02:18 | N58DH | “6,000, 58DH. Which heading?” |
| 02:25 | NY DEP | “N58DH — 58DH, climb and maintain 6,000, fly heading 250 now.” |
| 02:30 | N58DH | “250, 6,000, 58DH.” |
| 02:34 | NY DEP | “United 1981 Heavy, continue runway heading, climb and maintain 4,000 now.” |
| 02:40 | UAL1981 | “United 1981, runway heading, up to 4,000 now.” |
| 02:46 | UAL1981 | “United 1981 Heavy.” |
| 02:49 | ATC | “United 1981, Newark.” |
| 02:52 | NY DEP | “N58DH, sir, I told you to fly heading 260 and climb to 6,000. What were you doing?” |
| 02:58 | N58DH | “We copied 200. We were cleared 200 and 6,000, 58DH.” |
| 03:05 | ATC | “United 1981, Newark.” |
| 03:07 | ATC | “United 1981 Heavy, Newark Approach.” |
| 03:09 | UAL1981 | “1981 Heavy, we’re climbing 3,000 for 4,000, runway heading.” |
| 03:13 | NY DEP | “United 1981 Heavy, Newark Departure, roger. Climb and maintain 5,000.” |
| 03:18 | UAL1981 | “We’re climbing to 5,000, yeah.” |
| 03:25 | NY DEP | “N58DH, yes, I told you to fly heading 260 and climb to 6,000. You made a whole left turn due south.” |
| 03:34 | N58DH | “Roger, sir, we apologize. We copied 200, and that’s why we stopped the climb like you told us.” |
| 03:42 | N58DH | “At this moment we’re flying 250, climbing to 6,000 feet.” |
| 03:46 | NY DEP | “Okay.” |
| 03:47 | NY DEP | “So you’re saying you thought that I said heading 200?” |
| 03:51 | N58DH | “Affirmative, we heard 200. It’s our fault, it was 260. Apologize for that.” |
| 03:57 | NY DEP | “Don’t worry about it, N58DH, everybody’s fine now. Just climb up to 6,000, okay?” |
| 04:01 | N58DH | “Affirmative, sir, climbing to 6,000. Thank you.” |
| 04:06 | NY DEP | “And United 1981, the reason for that cancelled approach — traffic that departed Teterboro. He had turned left instead of going west.” |
| 04:15 | NY DEP | “But you still had 1,000 feet between the both of you, so we’re good.” |
| 04:19 | UAL1981 | “1981 Heavy, thank you, appreciate it.” |
| 04:22 | NY DEP | “No problem. United 1981, turn right heading 250.” |
| 04:26 | UAL1981 | “Right 250, United 1981 Heavy.” |
| 04:29 | NY DEP | “United 1981, were you responding to an RA?” |
| 04:31 | UAL1981 | “Yes, we had a TCAS RA.” |
| 04:33 | NY DEP | “Okay, roger. Traffic was below you. It was a — not sure if you’ll have to file this — but a Hawker, a Hawker 25B.” |
| 04:41 | UAL1981 | “Okay, yeah, we will have to file. And you said it was a Hawker?” |
| 04:45 | NY DEP | “It was a Hawker 25B that departed Teterboro, and he turned left, he turned southbound, right underneath you on the final as you were going down to 22 [unclear]. He stopped at 1,400 — that’s the highest that he got.” |
| 04:56 | UAL1981 | “1981 Heavy, thank you for the info.” |
| 04:58 | NY DEP | “You’re welcome, United 1981.” |
| 05:00 | NY DEP | “I’m going to put you back in sequence for Newark, for the ILS Runway 22L, okay?” |
| 05:05 | UAL1981 | “Yes, sir, perfect. Thank you, 1981.” |
| 05:08 | NY DEP | “November 58 Delta Hotel, sharp left turn — turn left heading 150, direct NECCK when able.” |
| 05:14 | N58DH | “150, and direct.” |
| 05:20 | NY DEP | “58 Delta Hotel, direct NECCK, climb and maintain 6,000.” |
| 05:25 | N58DH | “Direct NECCK, and…” |
| 05:29 | N58DH | “1,500 for [unclear], 58 Delta Hotel.” |
| 05:32 | NY DEP | “November 58 Delta Hotel, NECCK should be on your route, sir. November, Echo, Charlie, Charlie, Kilo.” |
| 05:40 | N58DH | “November Echo Charlie Charlie Kilo, November 58 Delta Hotel.” |
| 05:47 | NY DEP | “November 58 Delta Hotel, I need you turning left now. You’re about to go into the downwind for Newark, sir.” |
| 05:53 | N58DH | “Turning left, November 58 Delta Hotel.” |
| 05:57 | NY DEP | “United 1981, turn right heading 290.” |
| 06:00 | UAL1981 | “Right 290, United 1981 Heavy.” |
| 06:05 | NY DEP | “United 1981, we got a good spot for you. Turn right heading 010, and increase speed to 250 when able.” |
| 06:11 | UAL1981 | “Okay, right to 010, we’ll fix the speed to 250, United 1981.” |
| 06:16 | NY DEP | “November 58 Delta Hotel, hang on until you’re on course. Let me know when you’re on course to NECCK.” |
| 06:23 | N58DH | “We’re flying NECCK. We didn’t have it on our flight plan, I don’t know why.” |
| 06:27 | NY DEP | “November Echo Charlie Charlie Kilo. [unclear] flying direct south.” |
| 06:35 | N58DH | “And we continue our climb to 15,000, correct?” |
| 06:39 | NY DEP | “Negative, November 58 Delta Hotel. The heading is 150. Stop your climb now — stop your climb right now and maintain 6,000, sir.” |
| 06:47 | NY DEP | “You have disregarded every single instruction. Maintain 6,000, fly heading 150.” |
| 06:53 | N58DH | “6,000 and 150 heading, 58 Delta Hotel.” |
| 07:02 | NY DEP | “November 58 Delta Hotel, for a possible pilot deviation, just advise when you’re ready for a phone number.” |
| 07:11 | N58DH | “We’re ready to copy, 58 Delta Hotel.” |
| 07:14 | NY DEP | “Okay, November 58 Delta Hotel. First, are you going direct to NECCK now?” |
| 07:19 | N58DH | “Affirmative, direct NECCK, 58 Delta Hotel.” |
| 07:22 | NY DEP | “Okay.” |
| 07:25 | NY DEP | “The number for November 58 Delta Hotel, the phone number is… [not captured in source audio]” |
| 07:34 | NY DEP | “November 58 Delta Hotel, contact New York Departure 120.85. Have a safe rest of your day.” |
| 07:42 | N58DH | “120.85, 58 Delta Hotel.” |
Why the Teterboro and Newark Corridor Leaves No Margin
Teterboro and Newark sit close together inside some of the busiest airspace in the United States. Departures from TEB and arrivals into EWR operate in tight proximity, and controllers depend on precise compliance with headings and altitudes to keep aircraft separated.
In that environment, a single missed readback can compound quickly. A pilot unfamiliar with the region, or struggling with radio phraseology, has very little room to recover before the error affects other traffic.
Bottom Line
A Hawker 800XP and a United Boeing 787-10 came close enough near Teterboro and Newark that the Dreamliner received a TCAS resolution advisory. The root cause was a chain of miscommunication that began with a misread heading instruction and was never corrected.
The private jet pilot appeared unprepared for the density and pace of New York area airspace. The controller, in turn, missed the incorrect readback that started the sequence and left a direct question from a confused pilot unanswered. The encounter forced the widebody crew to take avoidance action, and both aircraft landed without further issue.
The event underscores a basic principle of aviation safety. Readbacks exist so errors get caught on the ground before they become conflicts in the air
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