NTSB Identifies Distractions as Cause of Near Collision at JFK

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that interruptions and distractions led to a near-collision incident at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in January 2023. The incident involved an American Airlines Boeing 777 and a Delta Boeing 737, both of which were on the same runway.

On June 4, the NTSB revealed that the American Airlines flight crew's multitasking and distractions were primary factors in the runway incursion. The three-member cockpit crew mistakenly entered the runway where the Delta aircraft had been cleared for takeoff.

Investigators highlighted that the American Airlines captain continued on the wrong taxiway due to multiple interruptions and multitasking during critical ground navigation moments. The other two crew members failed to notice the error as they were preoccupied with other tasks, diverting their attention from the runway.

Additionally, the NTSB identified lapses in air traffic control (ATC) procedures. The ground controller, who issued the taxi instructions, did not notice the American aircraft's deviation because he was engaged in a lower-priority task. Furthermore, the ATC tower team responsible for runway operations did not continuously monitor airport activities, contributing to the incident.

The near-collision occurred on January 13, 2023, at approximately 20:44 local time. American Airlines flight 106, bound for London, crossed runway 4L without clearance, 20 seconds after the Delta 737 began its takeoff roll. ATC quickly intervened, instructing the Delta aircraft to abort takeoff, which it did, decelerating from 121 mph as the American 777 crossed its path.

Significantly, the cockpit voice recording for the incident was unavailable, having been overwritten. Investigators had to rely on the flight crew's recollections to understand the events.

The Airport Surface Detection Equipment – Model X (ASDE-X) played a crucial role in preventing the collision. ASDE-X issued alerts in the control tower, prompting controllers to act swiftly. The system, recommended by the NTSB in the 1990s and implemented at JFK in 2009, is installed at 35 airports across the U.S. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy emphasized the importance of such technology, advocating for its wider deployment to enhance aviation safety.

Homendy stated, "The whole reason U.S. aviation has such an exemplary safety record is because we’ve built in extra layers of protection, which is why we need lifesaving technology at more of the nation’s airports."