HOUSTON (AP) — Federal Aviation Administration authorities say air traffic controllers at a Houston airport averted a potential midair collision of two planes.

The incident happened Thursday night 10 miles northeast of Bush Intercontinental Airport, when a Singapore Airlines 777 jumbo jet and Delta Airlines A320 came about a half-mile horizontally and about 200 feet vertically of each other. Federal guidelines say aircraft should be separated a half-mile vertically and three miles horizontally.

FAA’s Lynn Lunsford tells the Houston Chronicle (http://bit.ly/1zgaVY5) that an air traffic controller noticed the danger and gave pilots instructions.

Lunsford says they have taken steps to ensure flight crews are aware of the guidelines.

In May, the FAA was investigating an incident in which an air traffic controller’s mistake put two planes on collision course.

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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com

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