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FAA Probes Logan Close Call After Delta Go-Around During American Takeoff

Investigators are reviewing air-traffic recordings and flight-tracking data to find whether communications or clearances led to unsafe runway proximity.

Overview

  • Delta Air Lines Flight 2351 aborted its approach and executed a go-around while American Airlines Flight 3161 was accelerating for takeoff on an intersecting runway at Logan, an event that occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
  • The Federal Aviation Administration has opened a formal investigation and is using ATC audio and flight-tracking records to reconstruct the sequence of clearances and pilot actions.
  • Delta said its Airbus A319 landed safely and passengers deplaned with no reported injuries, and American Airlines directed questions about the incident to the FAA.
  • ATC audio captured by public trackers includes the American pilot saying the tower had cleared the aircraft for takeoff, a detail investigators will examine to determine whether sequencing or communication errors occurred.
  • A go-around is a routine safety maneuver in which a pilot discontinues a landing and climbs away to avoid a conflict, and investigators will analyze radar, controller recordings and crew reports to decide whether changes to procedures at Logan’s intersecting runways are needed.