near misses

Noun

near miss (plural near misses)

1. A miss which was nearly a hit or collision.
   • […] two aircraft, one flying level across the field, another climbing after a missed approach, had an extremely near miss, in my estimation, less than 50 feet, before the lower pilot saw the higher aircraft and broke violently to the right in the darkness.1978, John F. Hilgenberg, quotee, edited by Arthur J. C. Lavalle, Last flight from Saigon, USAF, page 101

   Synonyms:

   airmiss

2. (broadly) A scenario which ends safely but might well have ended in disaster.
   • In recent years there have been two fatalities and one near miss due to the inappropriate use of boom trucks.2009 April 27, Mine Safety, Health Administration, Failure to Operate Boom Trucks Safely Using Proper Procedures

   Synonyms:

   close shave, narrow escape

3. (broadly) An attempt which fails narrowly; a performance which falls just short of a certain benchmark.
   • Dean Chance […] wasn't crying over his near miss of a no-hitter Monday night.1962 September 11, “No Chance Tears After Near Miss”, in Lawrence Journal-World, Lawrence, Kansas, page 16