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A Delta Air Traces flight carrying 284 passengers narrowly averted a possible collision with a Cape Air plane at Boston Logan Worldwide Airport on Thursday afternoon, forcing the wide-body jet to execute an emergency go-around maneuver simply 200 ft above the runway.
The Incident
Delta Flight 263, an Airbus A330 touring from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, was approaching Logan round 4:15 p.m. when air visitors controllers ordered the crew to abort their touchdown. The plane had been diverted to Boston from its unique vacation spot of John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport attributable to climate circumstances in New York.
The Delta flight descended to roughly 200 ft, simply earlier than the runway, earlier than climbing once more to 4,100 ft to keep away from Cape Air Flight 548, which had been cleared for takeoff from an intersecting runway. Aviation consultants reported the 2 plane got here inside half a mile of one another, with the Delta aircraft as little as 150 ft when the go-around was initiated.
Dramatic Radio Communications
“Heavy, that was shut,” the Delta pilot stated over the radio after the profitable avoidance maneuver. “Yeah, man, not cool,” the Cape Air pilot responded. Audio recordings captured the Cape Air pilot’s shock, with him saying “What the heck?” through the incident.
The Cape Air flight finally departed at 4:17 p.m. certain for Bar Harbor, Maine, whereas the Delta flight safely landed at 4:38 p.m. after circling round for an additional strategy.
FAA Investigation Underway
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the near-miss incident to find out whether or not correct security protocols have been adopted and overview the circumstances surrounding the air visitors clearances. Preliminary studies point out that each plane had obtained correct clearances for his or her respective operations, however the Cape Air plane had not cleared the runway by the point Delta was on quick remaining strategy.
Sources counsel the Cape Air plane delayed its takeoff roll by 20 to 30 seconds after receiving clearance, with no indication from the controller requiring fast departure.
Broader Staffing Disaster Context
The incident happens in opposition to the backdrop of a extreme nationwide air visitors controller scarcity that has been exacerbated by the continued authorities shutdown. An impartial security overview commissioned by the FAA in 2023 discovered that insufficient air visitors management staffing, mixed with outdated tools, was “rendering the present degree of security unsustainable”.
In keeping with the Nationwide Air Visitors Controllers Affiliation, the FAA is roughly 3,800 controllers wanting ample staffing ranges, with greater than 41% of licensed controllers working 10-hour days, six days every week. As of September 2023, almost half of the FAA’s 290 air management amenities have been understaffed, with 128 amenities falling wanting the company’s 85% staffing objective.
Shutdown Influence on Aviation Security
The present authorities shutdown has severely impacted air visitors operations, with the FAA reporting that 80% of controllers within the New York Metropolis space have been absent on Friday, and half of the nation’s 30 busiest amenities experiencing staffing shortages. Since October 1, there have been no less than 264 cases of staffing issues reported at FAA amenities, greater than 4 instances the 60 reported throughout the identical interval final yr.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported that air visitors staffing has been lower by 50% in some areas for the reason that shutdown started, with controllers working with out pay for over a month.
Airport Format Challenges
Boston Logan’s advanced format, that includes six runways with various orientations that intersect one another, requires notably exact visitors coordination and clear communication between controllers and pilots. The airport’s configuration makes simultaneous operations on intersecting runways particularly difficult, necessitating actual timing and coordination.
Aviation security consultants have related controller staffing shortages with a rise in “close to misses” or runway incursions, with roughly 1,757 such incidents recorded in 2024.
The Boston Logan incident underscores the essential significance of ample air visitors management staffing and the mounting stress on the aviation system as controllers proceed working prolonged hours with out pay through the federal shutdown.
