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 decided to enter the same runway. I mean, who needs personal space, right? The two planes got as close as a third of a mile apart at one point, which is just a little too cozy for comfort.
The American Airlines flight, numbered 308, stopped its takeoff after receiving clearance when the flight crew spotted the other aircraft on the runway. Bless their hearts, they must have been a bit surprised to see some unexpected company on the runway. An airline spokesperson told CNN that the flight crew observed another aircraft on the runway, which led to the aborted takeoff.
A tense exchange between the business jet pilot and an air traffic controller ensued, with the controller telling the pilot, “You just crossed an active runway.” The pilot responded, “You just told me to cross the runway, sir.” Oh, the classic “he said, she said” – it’s like a game of aviation telephone. The controller then clarified, “No, we said Amerijet 461,” which I’m sure cleared up any confusion.
This incident is just the latest in a string of recent aviation incidents, because what’s a holiday weekend without a few close calls, right? On Friday, a United Airlines passenger jet nearly collided with a drone as it was coming in to land in New Jersey. It’s like the skies are just getting a little too crowded these days.
NetJets Flight EJA434, the business jet involved in the incident, was being operated by a third-party maintenance vendor at the time. American Airlines, on the other hand, appreciated the quick actions of their crew members and thanked their customers for their understanding. The flight eventually departed for Bermuda, because the show must go on, after all.
CNN has reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration for comment, because someone’s got to get to the bottom of this runway rendezvous. This is a developing story, and I’m sure we’ll hear more about it soon. In the meantime, let’s all just take a deep breath and hope our summer travel plans don’t involve any unexpected runway meetups. And to all the pilots out there, let’s just stick to our own runways, shall we? 🚀
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.
