Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. An American Airlines flight headed to Bermuda had to abort its takeoff in Miami on Saturday evening because a business jet entered the same runway. I mean, can you imagine being on that flight and thinking you’re about to take off, only to have the pilot slam on the brakes? The business jet, NetJets Flight EJA434, got as close as a third of a mile apart from the American Airlines flight at one point. That’s way too close for comfort if you ask me.
The incident happened around 6 p.m. ET, and air traffic control audio shows a tense exchange between the business jet pilot and an air traffic controller. The controller told the pilot, “You just crossed an active runway,” to which the pilot responded, “You just told me to cross the runway, sir.” It’s like a big game of “he said, she said” up in the air. The controller then corrected the pilot, saying, “No, we said Amerijet 461.” I guess someone needs to work on their communication skills.
The aborted takeoff is just the latest in a string of recent aviation incidents heading into the Fourth of July holiday. On Friday, a United Airlines passenger jet nearly collided with a drone as it was coming in to land in New Jersey. It’s getting a little scary to fly these days, if you ask me. NetJets, the private aviation company operating the business jet, said it was being operationally controlled by a third-party maintenance vendor at the time of the incident.
American Airlines released a statement thanking their customers for their understanding and appreciating the quick actions of their crew members. The flight eventually departed for Bermuda, but not before giving everyone on board a good scare. I’m just glad no one was hurt, and I hope the FAA gets to the bottom of this incident soon.
The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to comment on the incident, but CNN has reached out to them for more information. This is a developing story, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about it in the coming days. In the meantime, I’ll just be over here, sipping my coffee and hoping my next flight doesn’t involve any near-misses.
In conclusion, it’s been a wild few days for air travel, and this incident is just another reminder of the importance of clear communication and safety protocols in the aviation industry. So, the next time you’re on a flight and it aborts takeoff, just remember: it’s better to be safe than sorry. And if you’re the pilot, maybe double-check the runway before crossing it, okay? 🙄
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
