A Boston-bound JetBlue flight had a close call with a Southwest plane on a Washington runway Thursday, according to officials who are investigating the incident.
The JetBlue flight to Boston Logan International Airport was starting its takeoff roll as an air traffic controller reportedly told the Southwest Airlines flight to cross the same runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The JetBlue plane ended up nixing the takeoff.
“On Thursday, April 18, JetBlue flight 1554 with service from Washington, DC (DCA) to Boston (BOS) aborted take-off due to another aircraft attempting to cross the runway,” JetBlue said in a statement.
“No injuries were reported, and the aircraft was inspected before ultimately taking off for Boston,” the airline added. “Safety is JetBlue’s first priority, and we will work closely with federal officials as this event is fully investigated.”
The FAA is investigating the close call.
Southwest Airlines said in a statement, “We are aware of the incident and are working with the FAA to fully understand the circumstances.”
Multiple close calls were reported at Boston Logan last year. One of the incidents involved a JetBlue flight and a Learjet.
The pilot of the Learjet took off without clearance and almost collided with the JetBlue flight, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The pilot of a Hop-A-Jet flight, Learjet 60, took off without clearance while a JetBlue flight was preparing to land on an intersecting runway.
As the Learjet started to takeoff without clearance, the JetBlue pilot abruptly performed a go-around to avoid a collision. The JetBlue plane, which had been cleared to land, passed about 400 feet above the Learjet.
Also last year, there was a close call between an American Airlines flight and a Spirit Airlines flight at Boston Logan.
