US aviation authorities are investigating a near miss at Boston’s Logan international airport after a JetBlue pilot had to take “evasive action” while landing when another aircraft crossed an intersecting runway.
The close call occurred at about 7pm on Monday when the pilot of a Learjet 60 took off without clearance as a JetBlue flight was preparing to land on an intersecting runway, according to a preliminary review from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The near miss is the latest in a troubling spate of safety issues involving commercial aircraft. There was one at John F Kennedy international airport in New York in January, a second in Austin, Texas, in February, and a third off the coast of Hawaii in December.
The incidents prompted the FAA administrator, Billy Nolen, to say earlier this month that he was putting together a team of experts to review airline safety.
The FAA is still investigating just how close the two aircraft came in Boston, but flight data tracking service Flightradar24 said on Tuesday that a preliminary analysis put the aircraft approximately 530ft (160 meters) apart.
The FAA is investigating a “close call’ in Boston after a Learjet “took off without clearance” on RWY 9 as a JetBlue flight was landing on RWY 4R. Review of ADS-B data indicates the aircraft came within approximately 565 feet as the Learjet crossed RWY 4R. https://t.co/2yd2oneCM4 pic.twitter.com/PGI4icH5rn
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 28, 2023
An air traffic controller instructed the pilot of the Learjet to line up and wait on one runway while the JetBlue flight landed on another, the FAA said in a statement.
“The Learjet pilot read back the instructions clearly but began a takeoff roll instead,” the FAA said. “The pilot of the JetBlue aircraft took evasive action and initiated a climb-out as the Learjet crossed the intersection.”
JetBlue said in a statement reported by the Associated Press that it is cooperating with investigators.
“On Monday, February 27, JetBlue flight 206 landed safely in Boston after our pilots were instructed to perform a go-around by air traffic controllers,” the airline said in the statement. “Safety is JetBlue’s first priority and our crews are trained to react to situations like this.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting
