ATLANTA- The flight crew of a Delta Air Lines (DL) Airbus A319 prevented a serious accident at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) on Saturday morning after controllers cleared an American Airlines (AA) Boeing 737 to depart directly into its landing path. The A319 carried 129 passengers and six crew members at the time.
The event involved Delta flight DL2351 from Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) to Boston (BOS) and American Airlines flight AA3161 from Boston (BOS) to Charlotte (CLT).
According to PYOK, both aircraft came within feet of a collision at a runway intersection before the Delta crew executed an immediate go-around.
Amerian and Delta Near Miss Unfolded at Logan
The incident occurred at around 11:35 AM local time on June 20. Delta flight 2351 was operated by a 25-year-old Airbus A319 registered N328NB. American Airlines flight 3161 was operated by a 9-year-old Boeing 737 registered N316PF.
At that time, arriving aircraft were landing on Runway 33L, the airport’s longest runway at 10,083 feet. Departing aircraft were using Runway 27, which crosses Runway 33L roughly 2,300 to 2,600 feet from its threshold.
As Delta flight 2351 approached the airport, the tower controller instructed the American Airlines crew to line up and wait on Runway 27.
Moments later, the Delta crew checked in and received clearance to land on Runway 33L, then continued their final approach.
The controller next issued instructions to three other flights operated by Jazz Aviation, which flies for Air Canada Express, JetBlue, and Republic Airways, which operates American Eagle regional services.
In quick succession, the controller returned to American Airlines flight 3161 and cleared it for takeoff from Runway 27.
The American Airlines crew read back the clearance correctly. The pilots then took around 40 seconds to spool up the engines and begin the takeoff roll.
Go-Around Decision
By that point, Delta flight 2351 was over the threshold of Runway 33L and seconds from touchdown.
The crew spotted the American Airlines Boeing 737 accelerating along the intersecting runway from their right. They rejected the landing and initiated a go-around, climbing more than 2,000 feet within seconds.
An audio recording of the tower frequency, shared by aviation source JonNYC, captured the controller asking the American Airlines crew, “American, where are you going?” Another pilot on the frequency then corrected the controller and pointed out that takeoff clearance had already been issued.
The Delta crew stayed composed, looped back into the pattern, and landed safely on the second approach.
Delta Confirms Crew Followed Procedure
A Delta Air Lines spokesperson confirmed that the crew acted in line with established procedures. The airline stated that safety remained the priority and that the crew coordinated with Air Traffic Control before performing the go-around and landing safely.
Delta added that a cockpit alert system warned the pilots of potential traffic and gave them early awareness of the developing situation.
Role of Onboard Alert Systems
The system Delta described is likely the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). If that is the case, its warning proved fortunate here.
TCAS is built mainly to prevent mid-air collisions, and its performance drops at very low altitudes near the runway.
Other systems that can improve ground awareness include Honeywell’s SmartRunway and SmartLanding tools.
These provide additional alerts on runway occupancy and positioning during the approach and landing phases.
A Gap in Runway Monitoring
The most striking detail is that the controller appeared unaware of the conflict until the Delta crew reacted.
Major US airports have received significant investment in runway-incursion detection technology, yet the warning in this case came from the flight deck rather than from ground systems.
No injuries were reported, and both aircraft completed their flights safely.
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