The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a dangerous near collision at Boston Logan International Airport on Saturday morning, when two passenger jets came close to each other on intersecting runways. The incident happened at 11:35 a.m. and involved a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and an American Airlines Boeing 737.
According to the FAA, air traffic controllers mistakenly cleared the American Airlines jet for takeoff just as the Delta flight was making its landing approach. Delta flight 2351 was carrying 129 passengers and six crew members and was only a few meters from touchdown on runway 33L when its pilots spotted the American aircraft moving across the runway from their right.
The Delta pilots immediately aborted the landing, pulled up sharply, and climbed thousands of feet within seconds to avoid a crash. The cockpit warning system also alerted them to a potential traffic conflict. The controller apparently did not realize the error until after the Delta crew climbed away.
Delta said the flight later landed safely on its second and final approach. A company spokesperson said, “nothing is more important than safety,” and confirmed the crew followed established procedures in coordination with air traffic control while approaching Logan Airport.
