FAA Probes Near-Miss at Boston Logan as Delta Flight Diverts

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is examining a close encounter at Boston's Logan International Airport involving two flights last Thursday. A Delta Air Lines aircraft coming in for landing found itself too close to a Cape Air flight taking off.

Delta's Flight 263, carrying 284 individuals along with 11 crew members, rerouted to Logan due to adverse weather blocking its path to New York's JFK Airport, according to a Delta representative.

Around 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time, as the Airbus 330-900neo was preparing to land, air traffic control instructed the pilot to climb back due to a Cape Air plane departing from a converging runway. This development was captured on LiveATC.net recordings.

The FAA released a statement affirming that control tower operators directed Delta Flight 263 to execute a 'go-around' — a maneuver where a landing attempt is aborted and the airplane ascends back to a safe altitude — to avoid Cape Air Flight 548.

After completing this procedural maneuver, the Delta aircraft successfully landed, and the passengers disembarked without issue.

A Delta spokesperson confirmed, "Our crew adhered to standard operating procedures and ensured a secure landing without any complications."

The number of passengers on Cape Air's Flight 548 remains unclear as the FAA continues its investigation.

Pilot Reactions and Comments

The specific proximity between the two planes hasn't been disclosed. However, communications captured on LiveATC.net reveal the pilots' reactions.

“What the heck?” was the initial response from the Cape Air pilot.

The Delta pilot, after being instructed to hold altitude at 3,000 feet, remarked, “That was close.”

The Cape Air pilot added, “Yeah man, not cool,” reflecting the general sentiment of surprise and perhaps frustration.