Local News

FAA reports ‘close call’ between two planes at Logan Airport

The FAA is currently investigating to determine the “closest proximity” between the two planes.

A JetBlue plane lands at Logan Airport, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. Michael Dwyer / AP, File

updated on February 28, 2023

A JetBlue pilot had to take “evasive action” to avoid colliding with another plane at Logan Airport Monday night, the FAA said, calling the encounter a “close call.”

The incident involved JetBlue Flight 206, which was preparing to land, and an unidentified Learjet, which took off “without clearance,” the FAA said in a statement to The Boston Globe.

“An air traffic controller instructed the pilot of the Learjet to line up and wait on Runway 9 while the JetBlue Embraer 190 landed on Runway 4-Right, which intersects Runway 9,” the FAA said. “The Learjet pilot read back the instructions clearly but began a takeoff roll instead.”

The JetBlue pilot initiated what is known as “a climb-out” maneuver to avoid the intersecting Learjet.

The FAA is currently investigating to determine the “closest proximity” between the two planes.

In a statement to WCVB, JetBlue said it is cooperating with investigators.

“On Monday, February 27, JetBlue flight 206 landed safely in Boston after our pilots were instructed to perform a go-around by air traffic controllers,” the airline said in a statement. “Safety is JetBlue’s first priority and our crews are trained to react to situations like this.”

According to flight tracking site FlightAware, the JetBlue flight 206 took off from Nashville before arriving in Boston shortly after 7 p.m.