FAA probing near miss between planes at New York airport

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday that it was investigating whether an air traffic control problem caused a near miss between two planes in New York over the weekend. A JetBlue Airways Corp flight to Austin, Texas, was preparing to takeoff at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday when a Caribbean Airlines flight crossed its path, the FAA said in a statement. The Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737 was returning from South America's Guyana. The departing JetBlue Airbus 320 had received control tower clearance when it attempted to takeoff but returned to the gate after the mishap, JetBlue said in a statement. There were no injuries. The closest the two aircraft got was more than 2,800 feet (853 meters), the agency said. The FAA is looking into a second incident involving a Delta Air Lines Inc Boeing 777 that took off from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport heading to Japan on Sunday morning, but returned shortly after someone reported seeing smoke coming from the aircraft. There were no injuries. Airport firefighters inspected the plane after the flight landed, the FAA said. It is investigating a possible mechanical issue with the plane, it said. Delta was not immediately available for comment on Monday. (Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)