JFK Airport News: NTSB Reveals How Five Aircraft Were Put at Risk by Communication Error
JFK Airport News
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has identified a communication error between two air traffic controllers as the cause of a serious runway incident involving five aircraft at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
The incident occurred on April 17, 2024, when a SWISS Airbus A330 preparing to depart for Zurich came close to four other aircraft crossing the same runway.
According to the NTSB investigation, the confusion started when one air traffic controller used the phrase “one at each” while coordinating runway crossings. The two controllers interpreted the instruction differently, resulting in conflicting aircraft movements.
The four aircraft crossing the runway belonged to Delta Air Lines, Republic Airways and American Airlines. They included a Delta Boeing 767, a Delta Airbus A220, a Republic Airways Embraer E175 and an American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8.
At approximately 4:45 PM local time, the SWISS Airbus A330 received takeoff clearance for runway 4L. However, the other controller had already begun clearing aircraft to cross the runway.
Around 4:46 PM, the SWISS aircraft started its takeoff roll. Five seconds later, the pilots noticed aircraft crossing the runway and immediately rejected the takeoff at approximately 50 knots.
At the time, three aircraft had entered the runway, while the fourth was approaching its edge. The closest aircraft was around 4,692 feet from the SWISS A330. No injuries or aircraft damage were reported.
The NTSB concluded that nonstandard communication and poor coordination between the controllers caused the incident. The investigation also found that JFK’s ASDE-X runway monitoring system did not generate an alert during the event.
Ajeet Yadav is an aviation enthusiast covering airline news, airports, aircraft, and industry developments through well-researched and reliable reporting.
