Saves Hundreds

The NTSB preliminary report indicates the co-pilot of the US Airways 737 may have prevented an accident that surely would have killed hundreds of people. The near miss that occurred on June 9th between the US Airways jet and an Aer Lingus A330 was caused by controller error.

The two air-traffic controllers handling takeoffs were immediately removed from their positions in the tower and are undergoing retraining before they may be recertified.

In the report, the safety board summarized the ''runway incursion" at Logan International Airport:

On June 9, 2005, about 1940 eastern daylight time, an Airbus A330-301, EI-ORD, operated by Aer Lingus as flight 132 (EIN 132), and a Boeing 737-3B7, N394US, operated by US Airways as flight 1170 (USA 1170) were involved in a runway incursion at General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts.

There were no injuries to the 12 crew members, and 260 passengers on the Airbus, or the 6 crew members, and 103 passengers on the Boeing. Neither airplane was damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for both flights. Aer Lingus flight 132 was conducted under the provisions of CFR Part 129, and was destined for Shannon, Ireland. US Airways flight 1170 was conducted under the provisions of CFR Part 121, and was destined for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

According to initial information obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), both airplanes were under control of the BOS Air Traffic Control Tower. The Local Control West (LCW) controller was responsible for EIN 132 and the Local Control East (LCE) controller was responsible for USA 1170. At 1939:10, the LCW cleared EIN 132 for takeoff from runway 15R, a 10,083-foot-long, 150-foot-wide, asphalt runway. Five seconds later, the LCE cleared USA 1170 for departure from runway 9, a 7,000-foot-long, 150-foot-wide, asphalt runway.

The co-pilot of US Airways flight 1170 reported that he had called "V1," and then noticed the Aer Lingus A330 rotating just prior to the intersection of runways 15R and 9. He told the captain to "keep it down," and pushed the control column forward. He further stated:

"The Airbus passed overhead our aircraft with very little separation, and once clear of the intersection, the captain rotated, and we lifted off towards the end of the runway. I reported to departure control that we had a near miss at which time Aer Lingus reported 'we concur.'"

Both airplanes were equipped with flight data recorders, which were removed and forwarded to the Safety Board's Vehicle Recorders Division, Washington, DC

FMI: www.ntsb.gov