![]() And that decision is always subject to human error. However, despite all the fancy systems, Runway Guard Lights, and lighted airport hold short signs and pavement markings it was the pilot’s decision to enter the runway. ![]() No takeoff hold lights were installed on runway 4L, meaning that the Delta 737 would have not been able to detect the American 777 except by using the naked eye (but I can’t determine whether the American 777 was present on the runway at the time that the Delta initiated its takeoff roll). According to a slide from the FAA website, these lights were installed on taxiway Juliet at 4R/22L. A Runway Status Light (RWSL) system is installed at JFK, which automatically displays red lights across the runway entrance when the system detects that the runway is occupied. For those asking, there are multiple layers of preventative measures that failed, including some that do not rely upon humans. Pilot here… many things went wrong here and this will warrant a full investigation. Passenger and freight services pay them fees to use the trackage, and in return if a service ever doesn’t run to time because of rail maintenance / infrastructure degradation issues then they owe compensation back to the service operators.Ĭan you imagine the uproar if we ever moved to adopt a similar model of nationalizing all the privately-owned rail networks in the country, and then turning them over to an NGO to maintain? Incidentally, we need only look at our rail infrastructure to understand how bad truly privately-owned and maintained infrastructure can get. All the rails in the UK are owned and maintained by NetworkRail. Interestingly, the UK’s rail infrastructure is ALSO run under this model. But these are not serious people looking to have a serious conversation. Air Traffic Control in the UK is run the same way, regulated under the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) but run by a private entity, albeit a nonprofit / NGO. Ultimately, based on what we know at this point, strong kudos are due both to the air traffic controller who called off the Delta 737 and to the pilots of that plane who managed to abort their takeoff and stop the aircraft before it crossed runway 31L where the Boeing widebody passed in front of – I’d be happy to have a serious conversation about the merits of a public-private partnership to replace the FAA. At 14 seconds in you see the Delta plane in its takeoff roll, aborting at the last minute as the American Airlines Boeing 777-200 crossed right in front of it. That would have been more than reasonable judgment.Īs I previously shared, you can watch the two aircraft in this illustration. Or the pilots may have just called it a night, quite reasonably deciding that after a near-miss it was best not to continue. In a rejected takeoff like this one, where heavy use of brakes is applied, they may have wanted to have the plane inspected by maintenance. The Delta flight to Santo Domingo was delayed until the next morning. The FAA is investigating and we’ll eventually hear much more detail.Īmerican Airlines 106 wound up departing for London from runway 31L after a call to report the incident to JFK Tower. We don’t know at this point that the accelerating Delta jet would have hit the American plane, but it might have, this was a huge mistake with potentially tragic consequences. The American Airlines pilots clearly got their instructions wrong. No other audio is heard before Delta 1943 was cleared for departure and American 106 crossed Runway 4L. ![]() More of the audio is now available via to American 106: "Cross Runway 31L at Kilo." ![]() ATC audio shows they were told to “”cross runway 31 Left at Kilo” and instead crossed runway 4 Left at Juliet, in front of the accelerating Delta Boeing 737. The American Airlines aircraft did not follow air traffic control instructions. Runway 4L was being used for takeoffs.The Delta flight stopped less than 1000 feet from where it would have intersected with American’s plane.Air traffic control saw this happening and at almost the last possible moment called out to Delta to abort takeoff, out of fear the two planes would collide (“Shit! Delta 1943 cancel takeoff clearance!”). The American plane, a 22 year old Boeing 777-200 (registration N754AN) crossed in front of the Delta jet that was in its takeoff roll. The incident was first reported by aviation watchdog JonNYC. On Friday night, American Airlines flight 106 from New York JFK to London Heathrow had a near-collision with a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 headed to Santo Domingo.
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