A Delta Airlines plane narrowly avoided disaster after another plane nearly landed on top of it on an airport runway.
According to a report by CNN, the close call occurred on Monday, July 21, at the Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez in Mexico City. A Delta Airlines Boeing 737 had started its takeoff sequence. At the same time, an AeroMéxico regional plane was using the airport to land. The jet reportedly touched down in front of Delta flight 590 while it was already moving on the runway.
The outlet cites FlightRadar, which shows the AeroMéxico Embraer 190 regional jet approaching runway 5R. It reportedly flew within 200 feet of the moving Delta jet. The Boeing 737 pilot immediately halted takeoff and returned the plane to the terminal. CNN explains that the jet eventually departed toward its destination in Atlanta three hours late.
Delta Reported The Incident To Authorities In The US And Mexico
Per a report by Flight Global, Delta reported the incident to Mexican aviation authorities, the FAA, and the US National Transportation Safety Board. The outlet also reveals more details about the incident, including how many people were on board each plane. Delta reportedly confirmed that the aircraft left the gate at 7:00 am. The company stated, “As the flight crew initiated the takeoff, they observed another aircraft landing in front of their aircraft on the same runway.” The pilot ultimately aborted takeoff at low speed and returned to the terminal.
The Delta flight had 144 passengers on board and six crew members. Flight Global explains that the Aeromexico jet has space for 99 passengers, although it’s unclear how many were onboard at the time. The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said, “Mistakes can always happen. Fortunately, in this case, nothing serious occurred. A review is being conducted along with all necessary measures to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again,” per CNN.
A Delta spokesperson explained that they are fully cooperating with authorities during the investigation. “We appreciate the flight crew’s actions to maintain situational awareness and act quickly. Part of Delta’s extensive training,” they added.