BOSTON (AP) — A JetBlue pilot had to take “evasive action” while landing at Boston’s Logan International Airport when another aircraft crossed an intersecting runway, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The “close call” occurred at about 7 p.m. Monday when the pilot of a Learjet 60 took off without clearance as a JetBlue flight was preparing to land on an intersecting runway, according to the FAA’s preliminary review.
An air traffic controller instructed the pilot of the Learjet to line up and wait on one runway while the JetBlue flight landed on another runway, the FAA said in a statement.
“The Learjet pilot read back the instructions clearly but began a takeoff roll instead,” the FAA said. “The pilot of the JetBlue aircraft took evasive action and initiated a climb-out as the Learjet crossed the intersection.”
The investigation will determine just how close the two aircraft came.
No other information was disclosed.
The Associated Press sent an email to JetBlue seeking comment.
FAA administrator Billy Nolen said earlier this month that he was putting together a team of experts to review airline safety after several recent incidents involving commercial aircraft at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, in Austin, Texas, and off the coast of Hawaii.
If it’s true, the Lear Jet took off without clearance, $100,000 fine and loss of pilots license for 10 years.