An American Airlines flight bound for Bermuda was aborted as a result of a near-collision on the runway. The close call occurred on June 26 after a second aircraft joined an active runway.
Aborted Flight
On June 26, American Airlines flight 308 was preparing for its planned take-off at 6pm EDT from Miami International Airport (MIA) when it was suddenly aborted. This was due to a second aircraft entering the same runway, and causing a near collision.
The American Airlines plane, which was bound for Bermuda’s sole airport, L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA), was described as having veered off as a business jet joined the runway and came within 600 yards of the aircraft.
Audio recording from the air traffic controllers at the time of the incident exhibits the controller telling the business jet pilot that they crossed an active runway, with the confused pilot responding that the controller had just requested that action. The controller asserts that they were referring to a cargo flight operating at the same time, Amerijet 461.
An American Airlines spokeswoman confirmed that the flight aborted once the danger was detected, commenting,
“After receiving clearance, American Airlines flight 308 discontinued its take-off when the crew observed another aircraft on the runway. We appreciate the quick actions of our crew members and thank our customers for their understanding.”
Though it was discontinued, the flight service resumed later that night, after the aircraft was checked over for damage and cleared for travel.
Under Investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed it is investigating the incident, with a spokesperson for the agency emphasising that the private business jet crossed the runway without authorisation.
The business jet has been found to belong to the world leading private jet company NetJets, which offers factional aircraft ownership, private leases, and private jet card programmes. However, it is understood that at the time of the incident, the aircraft was under the operational control of a third party maintenance vendor.
Later that evening, the American Airlines service departed for Bermuda, landing safely without any further incident.
How do you think the incident occurred? Do you think it was handled well? Let us know in the comments.
