United Airlines flight almost crosses into path of landing Jet Blue flight at Boston Logan Airport
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident
New York— -- Authorities are investigating an incident where a United Airlines flight failed to hold short of an active runway where a Jet Blue flight was about to land at Boston Logan International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
Friday evening, United Airlines flight 1946 was returning to the gate due to a maintenance issue. According to a Boston Logan spokeswoman, the Boeing 737 entered a “safety area” of the tarmac before the runway, which triggered a sensor that set off an alarm in the control tower.
GD Pennington, a passenger on the plane, Tweeted, “Close call with our pilot slamming the brakes.”
Air traffic controllers told United Airlines flight 1946 at least five times to “hold short of runway 27.”
The pilot of the United flight responded, “We’re short.”
As a precaution, air traffic controllers told the approaching Jet Blue flight to execute a “go around,” according to the airport spokeswoman, who added that the United jet never actually reached the runway.
A United Airlines spokesman said the pilot of the Boeing 737 stopped the aircraft to avoid snow on the tarmac, and the Jet Blue flight’s execution of a “go around” was “completely unrelated” and “coincidental.”
A similar incident occurred last October at San Francisco International Airport when an Air Canada flight failed to respond to six separate calls from air traffic control tower to abort its landing because an aircraft was already on the ground. The FAA said they are investigating that incident as well.