Airspace and Operations
Teterboro Airport (TEB) is located approximately 12 miles northeast of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and underlies the New York Class B airspace. The TEB Class D airspace extends from the surface to 2,500 feet mean sea level within a 4.2-mile radius. Arrival traffic into EWR primarily uses the overlying airspace. On the evening of the incident, operations were on a south flow with landings on runways 19 and 24 and departures on runway 19.
First Loss of Separation
The first loss of separation involved PH-ILC, a Netherlands-registered Dassault Falcon F900 departing TEB, and Fivestar 604 (FIV604), a Cessna C680 arriving TEB, as well as TEB air traffic control tower (ATCT) and New York Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility (N90). At 1905, the TEB local controller (LC) cleared the F900 for takeoff from runway 24. Shortly after, the F900 advised of an abnormal situation and requested to return to TEB. The LC directed the F900 to enter right traffic for runway 19 and initially sequenced it in front of the C680, which was on a 4-mile straight-in visual approach to runway 19.
The C680 was instructed to maintain minimum approach speed and plan to follow the F900. The LC then advised the F900 it would be number 2 after the C680. The F900 reported a fuel light issue but did not declare an emergency. Attempts to re-sequence the aircraft occurred, but the flight paths converged. The LC issued a traffic advisory to the F900 for the C680, and the F900 reported the traffic in sight. N90 directed the C680 to commence a left turn and climb to 2000 feet, causing the LC to abandon the planned sequence. As the C680 turned, the F900 overshot and flew through the final approach course for runway 19, resulting in a closest point of approach of 100 feet vertical and 0.6 miles lateral between the F900 and the C680. The F900 was subsequently cleared to land on runway 24.
Second Loss of Separation
The second loss of separation involved FIV604 (the C680) and N406CT, a Cessna C550 arriving TEB, along with TEB ATCT and N90. After the first event, the C680 was still in a left turn at 2000 feet when it came into conflict with the C550 on approach to TEB. N90 directed the C550 to climb to 3000 feet and inquired about the C680's heading, which was reported as 040 degrees. N90 then directed TEB to have the C680 climb to 3000 feet. The TEB LC directed the C680 to climb and also to commence an immediate right turn to de-conflict, but the C680, being in a hard left turn with traffic to its right, did not comply. The C680 and C550 came within 200 feet vertical and 0.44 miles lateral of each other.