FAA investigating 'close call' between JetBlue flight, Learjet at Boston airport
FAA says Learjet took off 'without clearance' at Logan International Airport
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it is investigating a "close call" between a Learjet and a JetBlue flight that unfolded Monday evening at Boston’s Logan International Airport.
In a statement to FOX Business, the FAA, citing a preliminary review, said "the pilot of a Learjet 60 took off without clearance while JetBlue Flight 206 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. "The Learjet pilot read back the instructions clearly but began a takeoff roll instead."
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JBLU | JETBLUE AIRWAYS CORP. | 5.91 | -0.19 | -3.11% |
The statement added that the "pilot of the JetBlue aircraft took evasive action and initiated a climb-out as the Learjet crossed the intersection."
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JetBlue planes are seen at Logan International Airport in Boston on April 5, 2022. The FAA says it is investigating a "close call" between a Learjet and a JetBlue flight on Monday. (David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe via Getty Images / File / Getty Images)
Flight data shows the JetBlue plane, which was coming from Nashville, Tennessee, eventually arrived at 7:13 p.m. local time.
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The FAA says the Learjet took off Monday night without clearance. Shown here is a Bombardier Learjet 60XR parked at an air show in France in 2009. (Antoine Antoniol / Bloomberg via Getty Images / File / Getty Images)
The FAA says the incident happened shortly before 7 p.m.
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The JetBlue Embraer 190 plane, like the one shown above, landed about 15 minutes after the incident Monday in Boston, the FAA said. (Daniel Slim / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
JetBlue told FOX Business that "We will assist authorities as they investigate this incident."
"On Monday, February 27, JetBlue flight 206 landed safely in Boston after our pilots were instructed to perform a go-around by air traffic controllers," a spokesman for the airline said. "Safety is JetBlue’s first priority and our crews are trained to react to situations like this."
The FAA also said that it will "determine the closest proximity between the two aircraft as part of the investigation."