http://wcbstv.com/local/newark.airpo....2.632715.html

My comments:
1.) Chuck Shumer was a little over dramatic to say each plane was carrying hundreds of passengers going hundreds of miles per hour. One of the planes was an RJ and final approach speed for both is in the mid 100 knot range.

2.) The TRACON handoff to TEB tower instead of EWR should have been noticed fairly quickly by the pilot(s) when they checked in with that tower. Yes, the controller screwed up with the freq, but ultimately the error should have been quickly picked up by the pilot too. Or even TEB tower controller when the pilot called in and addressed them as "Newark Tower". So, really, there's THREE people in the chain that should have caught the error.

Nonetheless, close calls like this are more common than we hear about. It's a very hot topic with the FAA.

I love the drama in the CBS Story:

CO536 is a 738 and CO Express are all RJ. No way there were HUNDRDS of people, even if both flights were full.

If both flights were full there were almost 200 people. Thats more than one hundred so it must be hundreds. Scores is probably the best term to use, but other than Abraham Lincoln and some of his friends no one would have understood that.

What I really love is the Tower Controller unsion blaming the "approach process for Newark airport" for the error. What part of telling the pilot which frequency to switch to is such a complicated process?

Yet sadly, the story says "each with hundreds of people"....yeah, one obviously had under 100--and the other didn't have a ton over 100