Another day, another very close call on a runway at a major US airport… what else is new?
In this post:
Delta & Cape Air cleared on intersecting Boston runways
VASAviation has the story of an incident that happened on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Boston Logan Airport (BOS). This involves an arriving Delta Airbus A330-900neo and a departing Cape Air Cessna 402.
Delta flight DL263 was cleared to land on runway 4R, and when that landing clearance was given, the air traffic controller even proactively mentioned “traffic holding on the crossing runway.” Indeed, Cape Air flight 9K548 was holding on runway 15R, awaiting takeoff clearance.
However, a short while later, the air traffic controller gave the Cape Air flight takeoff clearance. Just to be crystal clear, runways 4R and 15R intersect, and this clearance was given before the Delta plane landed.
The Cape Air pilots seemed to take around 20 seconds to start their takeoff roll, and then the air traffic controller realized that the departing plane and arriving plane were close to being on a collision course. So he instructed the Delta jet to go around at the very last second, just moments before it was due to touch down.
Not only that, but the Cape Air pilots were given instructions to “go low,” recognizing even the potential risk of the two planes colliding in the sky, given their intercepting paths.
Clearly the Cape Air pilots were looking out their right window at this point and realized what was going on, and they said on frequency “what the heck.” Meanwhile one of the Delta pilots said on frequency “that was close.” The Delta pilot requested the number to call for the tower, given the severity of the situation.
What contributed to this very close call in Boston?
Obviously it’s on the air traffic controller for clearing a plane to land and clearing a plane to take off on intersecting runways.
That being said, I think there’s a little more to this. I don’t think the air traffic controller just totally spaced on having given landing clearance to the Delta jet when he gave the Cape Air plane takeoff clearance. Instead, I think he was expecting the Cape Air pilots would start their takeoff roll right away, which would’ve provided a more comfortable level of separation.
The Cape Air pilots waited around 20 seconds after receiving their clearance to start the takeoff roll, which is a bit longer than usual, but not unheard of. Admittedly there’s no official time limit, and it’s not like they were given instructions to commence their takeoff roll with “no delay,” or anything. They also weren’t specifically warned about the Delta plane landing on the intersecting runway.
What can really be said otherwise? Air traffic controllers have a lot of stress, there’s always pressure to allow more takeoffs and landings to keep planes moving, and on top of that, they now haven’t been receiving their pay for about a month due to the government shutdown, which definitely adds even more stress to their lives.
To the controller’s credit, at least he was the the one to call the go around…
Bottom line
There was a close call at Boston Logan Airport, as a heavy Delta jet was cleared to land on a runway intersecting with one where a Cape Air plane was taking off. The air traffic controller only caught this at the very last second, at which point the go around was called. Obviously the pilots weren’t too happy about this.
I suspect the Cape Air pilots taking a bit longer than usual to start the takeoff roll contributed to this, but it’s not like they violated any rules by doing so.
What do you make of this close call at Boston Logan?
I believe 1990 is referring to the Schumer shutdown! Shutdown or not , paycheck or not, safety is priority #1. Delta did the right thing. ATC will eventually get all back pay when a few Dems determine that following Schumer is making them look bad. My 2 senators still haven't a clue and should be replaced. (Poser kelly and useless gallego).
@1990 is so desperate that she posts, and then replies....to herself(!!) LOL
As a non-American, am I right to understand your government is shut down because one of your parties refuse to fund anything unless ... illegal immigrants get free healthcare?
Is that simplistic? Or is it just another chapter of the insanity that is your country?
Hi. You’re repeating a Republican talking point about illegal immigrants. The Democrats say there is not a demand to give free healthcare to illegal immigrants in order to open the government. Cheers.
don’t play stupid here. health care for illegal immigrants was never on the discussion other than from the propaganda machine that you clearly belong to. troll
Tax cuts are OK for billionaires, but allowing ordinary people to claim a tax deduction for their health insurance premiums is unacceptable?
Heaven forfend that people living in nursing homes should be denied adequate nursing care with nationally mandated staff:resident ratios. Apparently once you're no longer a useful production unit you can be cast aside, because you're not entitled to adequate care in your old and/or infirm years.
These two points alone demonstrate the "robber...
Tax cuts are OK for billionaires, but allowing ordinary people to claim a tax deduction for their health insurance premiums is unacceptable?
Heaven forfend that people living in nursing homes should be denied adequate nursing care with nationally mandated staff:resident ratios. Apparently once you're no longer a useful production unit you can be cast aside, because you're not entitled to adequate care in your old and/or infirm years.
These two points alone demonstrate the "robber baron" philosophy of the Trump administration, a heartless, soulless conglomeration of verminous robots who are dictated-to by the very worst that capitalism has to offer.
The poor and underprivileged citizens of the United States are bent over a barrel, and the Trump administration is going in hard with twelve-incher as thick as a V can. Enjoy the ride, and next time you vote remember that elections have consequences; or better still be born rich, losers.
Are we sure this was DL263? That’s a scheduled flight between CDG-JFK.
It got diverted because of the terrible weather in NYC yesterday.
Was also confused because I was DL263 this past Tuesday too.
Question: Don't scorch me for my ignorance, but can someone explain the reason for obtaining the phone number? What's the call and to whom? " Hey you screwed up and almost killed us!" "Yup, sorry."
ATC requests pilots call the tower every time there is a perceived pilot deviation. Shoe’s simply on the other foot in this case.
Logan was down one runway at the time of this incident.
Air traffic controllers last paycheck was mid-October, thanks to the *Republican* shutdown.
Not saying those were the actual cause of this near-collision, but, it doesn't help.
Oh, and healthcare is a human right; just wanted to add that. Not specifically relevant, but, generally, always relevant.
yes, perhaps health care is a human right. The issue is it needs to be paid for. I pay 35G for my family and many families pay directly or as part of their salary and benefit package for work. The ACA (Obamacare) is an alternate way to pay for those not insured. The fees are billed to the insured but for the past years there were huge prefunded supplements by the Washington to pay most...
yes, perhaps health care is a human right. The issue is it needs to be paid for. I pay 35G for my family and many families pay directly or as part of their salary and benefit package for work. The ACA (Obamacare) is an alternate way to pay for those not insured. The fees are billed to the insured but for the past years there were huge prefunded supplements by the Washington to pay most costs for those claiming to not have sufficient income. The prefunded money is no longer there.
Medicaid is still an option for the indigent.
In short, the free ride is no longer there and those affected want to not pay. I repeat, if eligible, Medicaid is still there.
If something requires the labor of another, it cannot be a human right.
So why do most Americans have to pay up the wazoo for this human right and dems want illegal aliens getting it for free. They should get this human right in their own country.
I just don't understand why one would accept the inherent risks from having simultaneous operations on two intersecting runways.
Does any airport in Europe or Asia do that?
(Berlin has two parallel runways not separated between landing and take-offs, and has had two near-misses as a result)
Boston has 4L and 4R - why were they using 15R at all?
If 4L is being resurfaced, is not the appropriate action to reduce the capacity for the duration?
That is why I always try to avoid SFO, where two runways intersect another two.
@bsp
The two pairs are at 90' to each other.
So my ?naive ?European assumption would be that depending on the wind direction, one pair, or the other pair, are in operation (one for landings; one for take-offs), but never one from each pair.
There are some change-over periods as the wind shifts, but they are rare, and should involve completing one arrangement before starting the next, which might mean some short...
@bsp
The two pairs are at 90' to each other.
So my ?naive ?European assumption would be that depending on the wind direction, one pair, or the other pair, are in operation (one for landings; one for take-offs), but never one from each pair.
There are some change-over periods as the wind shifts, but they are rare, and should involve completing one arrangement before starting the next, which might mean some short delays.
But that's a price of safety.
Is the arrangement different from that?
I just don't understand why one would accept the inherent risks from having humans responsible for the controls.
When we begin no-pilot operations is when I’ll agree with you re no-controller operations. Meantime, you’ve made your ATC points a gazillion times.
@JHS
You probably didn't get my memo on the no-pilot ops either.
Both are obsolete but still required because we refuse to upgrade technologies from 1950s.
Then you have ignorant people who believe humans make fewer mistakes than computers.
They probably still count with their fingers and think smartphones are miracle gifts from a supreme being.
Cape Air is usually a single pilot operation, so there's less bandwidth for scanning and situational awareness, even if they fly into and out of BOS all the time.
Agree with BenjaminKohl. Tower should’ve told cape air to be ready for an immediate take off and if unable, no take off clearance should be issued.
VASAviation says he did non-stop editing for 6 hours to get this out asap, good work on his part, all the work that goes on to put something out like that!
In my opinion, when the tower first cleared the Cape Air for takeoff, the spacing was still totally fine. I see three problems that caused this close call.
1) The tower used legal but not ideal language, I would recommend telling the Delta pilots "traffic departs crissing runway prior to your arrival" and telling the Cape Air pilots "traffic at/inside 2 mile final crossing runuway, runway 15R cleared no delay/immediate takeoff"
2) as...
In my opinion, when the tower first cleared the Cape Air for takeoff, the spacing was still totally fine. I see three problems that caused this close call.
1) The tower used legal but not ideal language, I would recommend telling the Delta pilots "traffic departs crissing runway prior to your arrival" and telling the Cape Air pilots "traffic at/inside 2 mile final crossing runuway, runway 15R cleared no delay/immediate takeoff"
2) as a result, the Cape Air pilots took an unusually and problematically long time to start their takeoff run.
3) ATC didn't watch closely enough, after about 15 seconds should have canceled Cape's takeoff clearence or at least given the Delta a go around and turn.