Folks, I’m sipping my coffee and trying to wrap my head around this one. Two planes, a Delta Air Lines Flight 2351 and an American Airlines Flight 3161, almost collided last month at Boston Airport. According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), it all started when the American Airlines flight got an erroneous warning light, which slowed down its takeoff. Meanwhile, an air traffic controller got confused, and, well, you can guess what happened next.
The Delta flight was cleared to land on runway 33L, and about a minute later, the American Airlines flight was given the green light to take off on intersecting runway 27. Now, I’m no expert, but that sounds like a recipe for disaster. The American Airbus A319 started rolling down the runway, stopped due to the error message, and then started again 23 seconds later. I can only imagine the tension in the cockpit.
The pilots on the Delta Boeing 737 saw the potential collision and aborted their landing, circling the airport before safely touching down. The American pilots, on the other hand, continued with their takeoff, probably thinking, “What’s going on here?” At the closest point, the two jets were a mere 670 feet apart, with a total of 318 people on board. That’s way too close for comfort, if you ask me.
The air traffic controller told investigators that he got distracted by a small plane and didn’t notice the American flight taking off. He even asked the American pilots, “Where are you going?” To which they responded, “You cleared us to take off.” Oh dear, it seems like a classic case of miscommunication. The stoplights that could have warned the American flight of the impending conflict didn’t work properly, and the cockpit voice recorders didn’t capture the conversation between the pilots because they only retain two hours of audio.
The NTSB is still investigating the incident, and it’ll take them about one to two years to determine the probable cause. I’m sure they’ll get to the bottom of it, but for now, it’s just a big mess. The flight data recorders are being analyzed, and hopefully, they’ll provide some answers.
In conclusion, this near-collision is a wake-up call for the aviation industry. It’s a reminder that even with all the safety measures in place, human error can still occur. As I finish my coffee, I’m left thinking, “Well, that was a close call!” And I’m sure the passengers on those flights will be having nightmares about it for a while. So, the next time you’re on a plane, just remember, it’s not just the turbulence you need to worry about 🙃.
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.
