An American Airlines flight bound for Bermuda was forced to abort its takeoff at Miami International Airport on Saturday evening after a business jet entered the same runway, coming within a third of a mile of a potential collision.
American Airlines Flight 308, a Boeing 737-823, halted its departure roll after the flight crew spotted another aircraft on the runway, the airline confirmed. The incident occurred around 6 p.m. ET, and air traffic control audio captured a tense exchange between the business jet pilot and the controller.
“You just crossed an active runway,” the controller said, according to recordings from LiveATC.com. The pilot responded, “You just told me to cross the runway, sir.” The controller corrected him: “No, we said Amerijet 461.”
The business jet, NetJets Flight EJA434, was being operationally controlled by a third-party maintenance vendor at the time of the incident, NetJets said. The private aviation company expressed cooperation with investigators.
“We appreciate the quick actions of our crew members and thank our customers for their understanding,” American Airlines said in a statement. The flight later departed for Bermuda without further issue.
This close call is the latest in a series of aviation incidents as the Fourth of July holiday travel period begins. On Friday, a United Airlines passenger jet nearly collided with a drone while approaching Newark Liberty International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration has been contacted for comment and the story is continuing to develop.
