Mechanic Taxiing FedEx Plane Crossed Runway Despite "Hold Short" Order

Aviation officials in Boston say they're putting together a new runway plan for Logan International Airport after a mechanic taxiing a FedEx cargo aircraft crossed an active runway in spite of orders to hold short.

Monday's incursion involved a FedEx Airbus A300 en route to a hangar for maintenance. The mechanic taxiing the Airbus at approximately 0755 local time was ordered to hold short of the active until a JetBlue aircraft carrying 124 passengers took off. Controllers said the mechanic acknowledged the ATC transmission, but continued across the active anyway. Only after frantic attempts by ATC to contact the offending Airbus and an order for the JetBlue flight to abort its take-off did the mechanic acknowledge by saying, "'Yeah, I know. I crossed the runway,' or something like that," according to FAA spokesman Jim Peters. He was quoted by the Boston Globe.

It was the fourth runway incursion at Logan since June 9th, when an Aer Lingus Airbus A330 and a US Airways Boeing 737 came within 170 feet of contact as they departed intersecting runways. Two controllers were suspended in the wake of that near-miss, which threatened the lives of 381 people on board the two aircraft.

Controllers say part of the problem is the way Logan is laid out.

"One thing that you have to keep in mind is that Logan has a unique layout," NATCA Boston chief Tom Coronite told the Globe. "Five runways, and they all intersect. And we're soon to have a sixth, also intersecting."

FMI: www.massport.com/logan