Delta Go-Around Probe
FAA Investigates Delta Go-Around at Boston Logan Amid Close Call with American Airlines Jet
Anonymous
Key Points
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The FAA investigation centers on a close call between the two airlines’ flights “Saturday morning” at Boston Logan International Airport (timing not specified in the summary).
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Delta flight 2351 is identified as the specific aircraft/flight that coordinated with air traffic control to perform the go-around.
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American Airlines and Boston Logan (the airport) reportedly declined to comment and instead “referred requests for comment to the FAA.”
The FAA is investigating a close call at Boston Logan International Airport after a Delta Air Lines flight was forced to abort its landing on June 20 to avoid an American Airlines jet crossing its path on an intersecting runway. Delta flight 2351, an Airbus A321 carrying 129 passengers and six crew members, had been about 40 seconds from touchdown when the crew initiated a go-around, according to View from the Wing.
The Delta crew radioed: "Delta 2351, going around 'cause of American." The plane circled and landed safely about 11 minutes later. American Airlines and Boston Logan's operator both declined to comment, referring questions to federal investigators, according to AP News.
How Two Planes Nearly Met on the Same Runway
At 11:31 AM local time, Boston Tower cleared Delta 2351 to land on Runway 33L. One minute later, controllers cleared American Airlines flight 3161 — a Boeing 737-800 bound for Charlotte — for takeoff on Runway 27, which crosses Runway 33L, according to View from the Wing. The Delta jet was roughly 1.25 nautical miles from the runway threshold when the conflict peaked.
When the Delta crew spotted the American jet starting its takeoff roll across their path, they acted without waiting for instructions. After the go-around, a confused Boston Tower controller asked American 3161: "Where are you going?" The American crew replied: "You cleared us for takeoff, 3161," according to air traffic audio reviewed by View from the Wing.
Delta Pilots Called Heroes as FAA Defends Go-Arounds
Aviation analysts say the Delta crew's quick action was the key factor in avoiding a collision. Experts at View from the Wing noted that "neither aircraft had been told to stop or go around" by controllers before the Delta pilots took matters into their own hands. Ground witnesses reportedly saw the Delta plane pull up sharply while only 150 to 200 feet above the ground.
The FAA described go-arounds as "safe, routine procedures" carried out at the discretion of pilots and controllers, according to Hoodline. Delta confirmed its crew "coordinated with air traffic control" to perform the maneuver and that all 135 people on board deplaned normally. The FAA has opened a formal probe into the separation loss between the two aircraft.
Boston Logan's Crossed Runways Have a Troubled History
Logan's intersecting runway layout has raised safety concerns before. In August 2023, a similar close call happened at the same airport involving a Delta flight and a Cape Air aircraft, according to View from the Wing. In April 2001, a Delta 737 and an American 767 were involved in a ground collision on a Logan taxiway, according to NTSB records.
FAA rules allow controllers to issue takeoff clearances before physical separation exists, as long as there is "reasonable assurance" it will exist when the plane begins its roll. Aviation watchdogs say this policy may have played a role in the June 20 event. Analysts suggest the controller on duty likely "lost awareness" of the prior clearance given to the American jet, according to View from the Wing.
A String of Aviation Scares Puts Pressure on the FAA
The Boston close call comes during a string of deadly aviation accidents. In the week before the Logan incident, eight people were killed in a B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base on June 15, and 12 died in a skydiving plane crash in Missouri on June 14, according to AP News. A business jet crash in Laredo, Texas also killed one person that same week.
The back-to-back incidents have renewed calls for faster rollout of Surface Awareness Initiative technology, which gives controllers better tools to catch potential runway conflicts before they happen. The FAA investigation into the Logan incident is expected to take several months. Scrutiny is also likely to fall on the staffing level and experience of the controller on duty that morning, according to ABC News.
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