Federal officials are investigating why two planes got dangerously close on a runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport earlier this month despite the airport being equipped with an advanced surface radar system that's designed to help prevent such close calls.

"An air traffic controller at LaGuardia Airport in New York canceled the takeoff clearance for Republic Airways Flight 4736 because United Airlines Flight 2657 was taxiing on the same runway," the FAA said in a statement provided to PEOPLE.