Passengers on board American Airlines Flight 1457, bound for Chicago, experienced tense moments when the plane screeched to an abrupt halt during take-off at Boston’s Logan Airport.
Cosmo Rowell, a passenger on the flight, described the incident as “terrifying.” He recounted the sudden application of brakes after the plane had gained speed on the runway around 1 pm.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the decision by an air traffic controller to halt the take-off was made “out of an abundance of caution” due to the proximity of a Spirit Airlines aircraft on the runway.
Rowell explained that the unexpected jolt caused anxiety and fear among passengers because of the situation’s uncertainty. The flight took off after a delay of approximately two hours.
Rowell elaborated that the initial sensation of the take-off’s G-forces was suddenly replaced by the powerful braking force, leading to a collective sense of unease among passengers.
American Airlines issued an apology, asserting their unwavering commitment to customer and staff safety.
This incident has prompted an FAA investigation into the “close call” event, highlighting potential lapses in runway management and air traffic control coordination. Notably, this is not the first such incident at Logan Airport this year.
On February 27, a JetBlue pilot narrowly averted disaster when a private charter jet mistakenly attempted to take off, prompting the JetBlue pilot to initiate an evasive climb-out.
The recent string of near-miss incidents at Logan Airport underscores the critical importance of robust communication and protocol adherence in ensuring safe air travel operations.