Charter Jet Takes Off Without Permission, Nearly Collides with JetBlue Plane at Logan Airport
BOSTON – A recent investigation by federal authorities has revealed that the pilot of a charter jet took off without permission, resulting in a dangerous “conflict” with a JetBlue plane that was preparing to land at Logan Airport in February. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its final report on Thursday, accompanied by a video screen capture from the cockpit of the JetBlue plane that highlighted just how close the two planes came to colliding on February 27th.
According to the NTSB report, the charter jet had received clearance to line up and wait on the intersecting runway but instead began taking off without permission, leading to the near-miss. Fortunately, a ground detection system alerted the control tower about the unauthorized takeoff, prompting a timely “go-around” instruction from air traffic control. The quick action by the JetBlue pilots allowed them to pull up, circle around, and land safely.
MIT Aeronautics & Astronautics Professor John Hansman stressed the significance of the ground detection system, stating, “I think this is an example of the system working like it’s supposed to.” He emphasized the need for redundancy and support within the aviation system to catch errors made by humans.
In his statement to the safety board, the pilot of the Learjet involved in the incident blamed the cold weather in Boston for affecting him, stating, “I cannot understand what happened to me during the clearance, the only thing that comes to my mind is that the cold temperature in Boston affected me, I was not feeling completely well and had a stuffed nose. My apologies.”
Veteran pilot Patrick Smith of askthepilot.com criticized the pilot’s actions, calling it a failure of basic piloting knowledge. Smith explained that the incident highlighted the importance of both technology, such as the runway incursion avoidance system, and pilots adhering to their responsibilities.
Passengers on the JetBlue flight expressed their shock and fear during the near-miss. Adam Johnson, a passenger and father, recalled thinking about his family’s safety, saying, “You do sit and there and say, ‘oh my gosh, I have a 13-year-old, I have a 15-year-old, I’m married, how close did I come to not seeing them again.'”
Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the incident. However, the NTSB has recognized the need for increased investment in aviation safety technology, such as the system at Logan Airport, to prevent similar close calls in the future. The incident led the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to organize a “safety summit” in March with the aim of brainstorming strategies to prevent planes from getting too close to one another.
Industry experts and safety advocates reiterate that despite incidents like these, commercial flying remains statistically safer than ever before. The last fatal crash involving a U.S. airline occurred in 2009.
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