DALLAS — American Airlines pilots who declined recorded interviews with federal aviation safety investigators after a close-call on a runway in New York have backed down and will talk.
The National Transportation Safety Board said last week that it would subpoena the pilots of an American Airlines Boeing 777 that crossed a runway at New York’s JFK International Airport without air traffic control clearance as a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 jet was taking off on Jan. 13.
The Delta jet aborted the takeoff and there was no collision, but it prompted a federal investigation and after written statements, the NTSB wanted to talk more with the American Airlines crew. But the Allied Pilots Association representing American pilots initially rejected the request, saying that tape-recorded interviews were unusual, while federal investigators said it was necessary for accuracy. The NTSB said it would subpoena pilots to get the interviews.
