ASA Regional Jet Crosses In Front Of 757 On The Roll

This one could have been bad, folks. An Atlantic Southeast Airlines regional jet ignored a hold-short order at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday morning, and crossed the runway in front of a Delta Air Lines 757 on its takeoff roll.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association gave this account of the incident to ANN:

Atlantic Southeast Flight 876, a regional jet headed to Greensboro, NC, was instructed to hold short of Runway 27-right. The pilot correctly read back the instruction but then proceeded to cross the runway without clearance. Doing so put the jet into the path of a departing Delta 757, Flight 261 to Mexico.  The Delta jet was too far into its takeoff roll to stop before arriving at the intersection where the regional jet had crossed. The planes came within approximately 1,500 feet -- or about three seconds -- of colliding.

Forty-four passengers were onboard the CRJ, while 130 were onboard the Delta mainline flight.

Investigators with the FAA are looking into this latest runway incursion incident.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.flyasa.com, www.delta.com, www.atlanta-airport.com