A Delta Airline plane loading for departure
A major air disaster at JFK Airport avoided by the captain on Friday the 13!
There are many emergency-drills a pilot practices in the flight simulator in anticipation of a real one in his flying career one day.
Indeed, on Friday the 13, January 2023, the captain of Delta Airlines B737 flight was faced with one that he had already prepared for.
On that day, an American Airlines Boeing 777 on its way to London actually crossed the wrong runway as a Delta Airlines Boeing 737 was taking off on that same runway.
As such, it had to reject the take-off that could have killed hundreds. That was almost similar to the world’s worst air collision of Pan Am and KLM jets on the runway of Tenerife in the Spain’s Canary Islands. That disaster took 583 lives on March 27, 1977
Thankfully, a very vigilant air traffic controller took swift action to keep the airlines from colliding by broadcasting twice on the radio, “Delta 1943, cancel take off clearance! Delta 1943, cancel take-off clearance!”
That prompted the captain on the Boeing 737 to instantly carry out the aborted take-off.
Of course, some would have considered that critical action as a heroic act for averting a major air disaster.
In reality, the captain had practiced that maneuver many times before but it wasn’t real until the Friday 13 incident.
Technically, this abort action is a pretty easy one as the captain immediately pulls the throttles back, selects reverse thrust and the auto brake would take care of the stopping action.
This maneuver forced the plane to abruptly brake and thrusting passengers forward in their seats. It took another 661 feet before it came to a complete stop with just 1,000 feet to spare.
Normally passengers in the plane are unaware of what actually caused the abrupt and very noisy emergency stop. As part of his drill, the captain has to communicate with customers stating the reasons why he had to do what he did.
The Federal Aviation Administration has four categories of runway incursions. These ranges from Category D (least serious) to Category A (most severe).
This Friday13 incident was classified as Category A or defined as that the ‘collision was narrowly avoided at the final stage before an accident itself occurring.’
The Delta flight eventually took off to Santa Domingo Airport in the Dominican Republic after a long delay while the American Airlines flight continued and arrived on time at London Heathrow on the following morning.
They were almost unaware of the close shave until informed later of the gravity of their actions.
Meanwhile, officials are investigating this close call at the New York JFK Airport.
The investigators would go back and listen to every transmission between the American Airlines Boeing plane and the air traffic controller to see who misunderstood what and come up with recommendations to further improve safety on the ground and in the air in the future.
See a YouTube video ‘Terrifying near-miss between passenger planes at JFK Airport’
here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXYGRj9Fm8
See YouTube video ‘JFK [MASS DISASTER] Averted PLANES Secs from a COLLIDE’
here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbD1TUiogtk&t=4s
See YouTube video’ Close call at JFK Airport being investigated’