Near disaster as American Airlines plane passes in front of departing Delta Airlines plane

Last Friday night, American Airlines flight 106 from New York (JFK/KJFK) to London Heathrow (LHR/EGLL) had a near-collision with a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 headed to Santo Domingo (SDQ/MDSD). The American plane appears to have attempted to depart from the wrong runway. 

The American Airlines aircraft was supposed to depart runway 4L but held short of 31L – and crossed in front of the Delta plane.

 

Air traffic control yelled,

ATC: Shit! Delta 1943 cancel takeoff clearance! Delta 1943 cancel takeoff clearance.

Delta: Rejecting

ATC: Alright, whew, Delta 1943. Delta 1943 are you able to taxi, or do you need a couple of minutes to run checks?

Delta: Yeah, we can get off the runway Delta 1943.

Meanwhile air traffic control had words for American crossing in front of an active runway:

American: The last clearance we were given, we were cleared to cross is that correct?

ATC: American 106 Heavy, we’re departing runway 4 left, I guess we’ll listen to the tapes, but you’re supposed to depart runway 4 left, you’re currently holding short of runway 31 left.

The Delta plane begin its takeoff roll, aborting at the last minute as the American Airlines Boeing 777-200 crossed right in front of it.

A passenger on the Delta flight, Brian Healy, reports that Delta 1943 had accelerated for “3 or 4 seconds” when it began braking, to the astonishment of passengers who “gasped” and fell into “total silence” before hearing from the captain who told passengers that they had been ordered by air traffic control to abort. They taxied back to the gate, were put up overnight in accommodation and tried again the next morning.

Ultimately air traffic control saw what was happening and acted quickly when, it appears, the American flight to London misheard its instructions.  

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Delta Airline

Code: DL/DAL

Aircraft: Boeing 737-932

Registration: N914DU

Serial Number: 62782

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-7BE

First Flew: 04/01/2019

Age: 4 Yrs

Aircraft Information:

Airline: American Airlines

Code: AA/AAL

Aircraft: Boeing 777-223

Registration: N754AN

Serial Number: 30262

Engines: 2 x RR Trent 892

First Flew: 01/06/2001

Age: 21Yrs 6 Mts