BOSTON– A JetBlue pilot had to take “evasive action” while landing at Boston’s Logan International Airport when another plane crossed an intersecting runway, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The “close call” occurred around 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 ordered the Learjet pilot to line up and hold on one runway while the JetBlue flight landed on another runway, the FAA said in a statement.
“The pilot of the Learjet read the instructions clearly, but instead began a takeoff roll,” the FAA said. “The pilot of the JetBlue plane took evasive action and began a climb as the Learjet crossed the intersection.”
The investigation will determine how close the two planes were.
The FAA did not release any additional information.
JetBlue said it is cooperating with investigators.
“On Monday, February 27, JetBlue Flight 206 landed safely in Boston after air traffic controllers instructed our pilots to perform a go-around,” the airline said in a statement. Safety is JetBlue’s first priority and our crews are trained to react to situations like this.”
A Logan spokesperson referred questions to the FAA.
FAA Administrator Billy Nolen said earlier this month that he was assembling a team of experts to review airline safety after several recent incidents involving commercial aircraft at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport in Austin, Texas, and off the coast of Hawaii.
