Boston Logan Near Miss Renews Scrutiny of US Runway Safety

A Delta Air Lines jet came within roughly 300 feet of an American Airlines aircraft at Boston Logan International Airport, according to an aviation expert, renewing concern over runway safety across the United States.

The incident happened on Saturday when Delta Flight 2351, arriving from Dallas, aborted its landing as an American Airlines aircraft departed from an intersecting runway. The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating. Delta said the crew coordinated with air traffic control, completed a go-around and landed safely. There were 129 passengers and six crew members on board.

A routine procedure, an unusually close call

Go-arounds are a normal safety procedure, and aborting a landing is exactly what crews are trained to do when something is not right. What has drawn attention here is the proximity of the two aircraft, both commercial jets operating at a major hub. Aviation safety specialist Todd Curtis estimated the planes were about 300 feet apart, using flight-tracking data.

The episode arrives as runway incursions and near misses face fresh scrutiny from lawmakers. A Senate aviation subcommittee is expected to examine safety across the national airspace system, including how technology, staffing levels and procedures can reduce risk at the busiest airports.

Thin margins at complex airports

US aviation remains extremely safe by global standards, but the margin for error at complex airports can be slim. Intersecting runways, high traffic volumes and fast-moving weather or scheduling pressures all add to operational complexity.

The Boston case will now turn on investigators reconstructing the instructions given, the positions of the aircraft and the precise timing of events. Even without injuries, near misses matter because they show where the layers of protection that keep flying safe came uncomfortably close to failing.