A JetBlue flight had a “close call” with a Learjet at Boston Logan International Airport Monday night, a day after a different JetBlue flight reported an “aborted landing” due to an unstable approach at Logan.
The FAA is investigating the “close call” between the JetBlue plane and the Learjet, according to the FAA.
Shortly before 7 p.m. on Monday, the pilot of a Learjet 60 took off without clearance while JetBlue Flight 206 from Nashville was preparing to land on an intersecting runway.
“An air traffic controller instructed the pilot of the Learjet to line up and wait on Runway 9 while the JetBlue Embraer 190 landed on Runway 4-Right, which intersects Runway 9,” the FAA said in a statement. “The Learjet pilot read back the instructions clearly but began a takeoff roll instead.
“The pilot of the JetBlue aircraft took evasive action and initiated a climb-out as the Learjet crossed the intersection,” the FAA added.
The Learjet was operated by Hop-A-Jet, a private charter company.
“The FAA will determine the closest proximity between the two aircraft as part of the investigation,” the FAA said.
JetBlue in a statement said Flight 206 landed safely in Boston after its pilots were instructed to perform a go-around by air traffic controllers.
“Safety is JetBlue’s first priority and our crews are trained to react to situations like this,” the airline added. “We will assist authorities as they investigate this incident, and further inquiries should be directed to them.”
This incident at Boston Logan involving a JetBlue flight comes a day after a different JetBlue flight had an “aborted landing” at the airport.
JetBlue Flight 410 from the Bahamas performed a “routine go-around procedure” Sunday night after the pilot reported an unstable approach to Logan, according to the FAA.
A passenger on the flight told the Herald that a flight attendant over the plane’s intercom called it an “aborted landing,” and said the incident as a passenger was “terrifying.”
“A go-around is a safe, routine procedure performed at the discretion of a pilot or an air traffic controller,” the FAA said. “To an airline passenger, the event may seem like an emergency maneuver. However, the controller and pilot are working together to prevent an unsafe condition from occurring.”
