A Delta crew preparing for takeoff were shocked to see another plane trying to land on their runway. Photo / 123RF
Disaster was narrowly averted at New York's busiest airport this week when air traffic controllers prevented a plane from landing on the same runway on which another aircraft was preparing to take off.
Delta's Flight 4231, was readying for departure on John F Kennedy International's Runway 13 as Volaris Flight
880 arriving from Mexico lined up to touch down on the same runway. The Delta flight crew spotted the approaching plane and informed air traffic control.
The controllers told the Delta plane to "cancel take-off plans" and leave the runway, informing the Volaris pilot that the plane was heading for the wrong runway.
"You're lined up on the wrong runway," said an air traffic controller, according to a recording obtained by NBC. "Volaris 880 go around, turn left heading 100."
The crew aborted the initial landing, looping around and landing safely at the second attempt on the correct runway minutes later. The Delta flight, bound for Washington, took off successfully.
