Near-disaster at JFK Airport: Swiss pilots’ presence of mind prevents accident
On April 17, 2024, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, a potentially fatal collision was averted by the quick reaction of the pilots of Swiss 17. The Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A330-300, bound for Zurich, was cleared for takeoff while four other aircraft were crossing the runway at the same time. Thanks to a prudent aborted takeoff, the pilots avoided a disaster. At 16:45:47, the tower cleared Swiss 17 for takeoff. But one second later, another air traffic controller allowed Delta 29, a Boeing 767-400 that had just landed from Nice, to pass on runway 4L. Within the next eleven seconds, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, an Airbus A220-300 and an Embraer E175 were also cleared to cross the active runway. The pilots of Swiss 17, who recognized this dangerous situation, immediately aborted takeoff and safely braked the Airbus from a speed of 50 knots. The closest distance to the first crossing aircraft was about 1,4 kilometers. Investigations A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) broke down the incident in detail. The investigation found that at the time of the incident, ten air traffic controllers, two trainees and a supervisor were working in the tower, which is in line with the guidelines for this shift. The report by the Swiss Safety Investigation Board (SUST) confirmed the seriousness of the incident. The incident involving Swiss 17 is one of a series of similar events at US airports. In January 2023, Delta pilots in New York prevented an impending collision with an American Airlines Boeing 737-900 by applying the brakes on their Boeing 777-200ER.
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