BOSTON (WHDH) - Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating reports of an apparent “close call” between two planes at Logan International Airport.
A spokesperson for the FAA said, based on a preliminary investigation, it was around 7 p.m. on Monday when a Learjet 60 allegedly took off without clearance, just as a JetBlue passenger jet was preparing to land on an intersecting runway.
“An air traffic controller instructed the pilot of the Learjet to line up and wait on Runway 9 while the JetBlue Embraer 190 landed on Runway 4-Right, which intersects Runway 9,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The Learjet pilot read back the instructions clearly but began a takeoff roll instead.”
According to the FAA, the pilot of the JetBlue Embraer 190 took “evasive action” and initiated a “climb-out” as the Learjet crossed the intersection.
As the FAA’s investigation continues, the spokesperson said officials are currently determining just how close the two aircraft were to one another during the incident.
Aviation expert Tom Kinton discussed the incident on Monday.
“If a collision were to occur, you’ve got hundreds involved here,” he told 7NEWS. “It’s kind of a worst case scenario for an airport and for the FAA.”
Kinton added that “it sounds like the evasive action by the JetBlue pilot was done just in time.”
Flight tracking data from Flightaware shows the JetBlue pilot circling around the Boston area for another landing after pulling out of its first landing attempt.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, JetBlue said its flight landed safely after air traffic controllers told pilots to perform a go-around.
“Safety is JetBlue’s first priority and our crews are trained to react to situations like this,” the airline said.
JetBlue said it will assist authorities as they investigate.
This is not the first “close call” this year.
In January, a Delta flight taking off from JFK International Airport almost hit an American Airlines plane crossing its path.
Earlier this month, a FedEx cargo plane trying to land at an Austin, Texas airport nearly collided with a Southwest Airlines jet taking off from the same runway.
Back in Boston, passengers aboard the JetBlue plane described their experience.
Adam Johnson said he thought the wheels of the plane touched down. Whether they did or not, he continued, he said “instantly we were rocketing back up into the air and it was clear something had happened.”
Nick Phillips said passengers didn’t get an announcement about the incident.
“We were just all very confused,” he said.
Phillips said he woke up Tuesday morning and learned about the incident by reading a news article.
Johnson further reflected on the scare and the response of the crew aboard the plane.
“It felt like it was very routine for them and in that sense I would say I feel entirely blessed to be here today and thankful for what they did,” Johnson said.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)