An American Airlines flight bound for Bermuda was forced to abort its takeoff at Miami International Airport on Friday, June 27, around 6:00 p.m. local time, due to an unauthorized executive jet encroaching on the active runway while the commercial aircraft was already accelerating to about 60 mph, as reported by CNN.
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A319 carrying 112 passengers.
The pilots engaged the brakes upon spotting the other plane, and at the height of the situation, the two aircraft were separated by merely a third of a mile—approximately 500 meters—triggering emergency protocols.
The Tense Exchange in Air Traffic Control
The event was captured in an air traffic control audio obtained by ABC News and confirmed by CNN, showcasing a tense exchange between the MIA controller and the private jet's pilot.
“You just crossed an active runway,” the controller informed the executive jet pilot.
“You told me to cross the runway, sir,” the pilot replied.
“No, we said Amerijet 461,” the controller clarified, highlighting a flight identification mix-up as a possible cause of the error.
The jet that intruded on the runway was identified as NetJets flight EJA434.
The private aviation company stated, according to CNN, that at that time, a third-party maintenance provider was operating their aircraft, not their own pilots.
NetJets did not issue any further public comments on the incident.
American Airlines' Response and the Federal Investigation
In an official statement cited by Local10, American Airlines explained that the crew “aborted the takeoff maneuver upon observing another aircraft on the runway,” after receiving clearance for takeoff.
The company concluded its statement with gratitude: “We appreciate the quick actions of our crew and the understanding of our customers.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed on Monday that the private plane was unauthorized to be on the active runway and has launched a formal investigation into the incident, according to Telemundo 51.
Flight 308 was rescheduled and took off without further issues shortly before 8:00 p.m., approximately two hours after its planned departure, arriving in Bermuda just before midnight local time.
An Alarming Trend in U.S. Aviation
The Miami incident is not an isolated event.
On the same day, the pilot of United Airlines flight 1513 reported a near collision with a drone while landing at Newark Airport, New Jersey: “We almost hit a drone,” he noted, indicating the object was about 100 feet below the aircraft.
The previous week, the FAA was already investigating a near-miss at Boston's Logan Airport, where a Delta flight aborted its landing to avoid colliding with an American Airlines plane, with both aircraft just 300 feet apart, as reported by the New York Post.
This series of incidents comes just before the July 4th holiday, with an estimated record of 72 million people expected to travel nationwide, heightening the debate over the safety of U.S. airspace and communication protocols between controllers and pilots.
Runway incursions are deemed by the FAA as one of the most severe risks in civil aviation, given their potential to result in catastrophic collisions.
The investigation into the AA308 flight incident in Miami remains ongoing.
Key Questions About Recent Aviation Incidents
What caused the American Airlines flight to abort its takeoff in Miami?
The takeoff was aborted because an unauthorized executive jet encroached on the active runway where the commercial aircraft was accelerating.
What actions has the FAA taken following the Miami runway incident?
The FAA confirmed that the private plane had no authorization to be on the active runway and has launched a formal investigation into the incident.