A Delta Air Lines jet was roughly 300 feet from an American Airlines plane during a close call at Boston Logan International Airport on Saturday, forcing the Delta aircraft to abort its landing attempt, according to an aviation expert.
Expert Estimates Distance Between Jets
Todd Curtis, a former safety engineer at Boeing, estimated the distance between the two jetliners using Flightradar24, a flight-tracking website. Curtis, who now co-produces a podcast about flight safety issues, described the incident as significant and particularly concerning because it involved two professional airline crews.
“This is a significant incident,” Curtis said, adding that federal aviation officials have been concerned about such runway incursions for a while and will scrutinize Saturday's close call.
FAA Investigation Underway
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is investigating the incident between two commercial flights that occurred on Saturday at Boston Logan International Airport. The Delta flight from Dallas had to execute a go-around, or aborted landing, to avoid the American Airlines plane departing from an intersecting runway, according to the FAA and flight logs.
The crew of Delta flight 2351 coordinated with air traffic control to perform the go-around, a Delta spokesperson said. The plane, which had 129 passengers and six crew members on board, landed safely and deplaned normally, according to the spokesperson. The FAA noted that go-arounds are safe, routine procedures performed at the discretion of the pilot or air traffic controllers.
Upcoming Senate Hearing on Runway Safety
Near-misses and runway incursions at U.S. airports will be the subject of a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation will seek ways to strengthen safety across the national airspace system. Curtis said the incident highlights ongoing concerns about runway safety and the need for continued vigilance.
