2005 Logan Airport Runway Incursion - Incident

Incident

To reduce radio congestion and consequences resulting from pilot or controller error, airports with a large number of operations will typically split the tower (local) controller into two or more positions. This was the case that evening when each of the incident flights were the responsibility of different controllers. The local control west controller was responsible for Aer Lingus flight 132 and the local control east controller was responsible for US Airways flight 1170.

At 19:39:10, Aer Lingus flight 132 was cleared for takeoff from runway 15R by local control west. Five seconds later, local control east cleared US Airways flight 1170 for takeoff from runway 9 which intersects with runway 15R; the aircraft had essentially been sent on a collision course. With the airport terminals between the two aircraft as the takeoffs began, the flight crews could not initially see each other.

During the take-off roll, the US Airways first officer noticed the other plane and realized that they could collide. He realized that at the runway intersection both aircraft would be slightly airborne. Telling the Captain to "Keep it down", he pushed the control column forward. In this way he was able to keep US Airways 1170 from lifting off the runway, allowing it to reach the intersection and pass under the other aircraft as it took off. The two planes passed within an estimated 70 feet (21 m) of each other, with the Aer Lingus aircraft flying over the US Airways aircraft. Since (according to the NTSB report) the US Airways flight had already achieved its V₁ speed and could no longer safely abort takeoff, the flight crew continued down the runway and lifted off after passing through the intersection.