Runway incursion at BOS

[Beanbag]

A US Airways aircraft with 89 people on board taking off from Boston's Logan Airport narrowly missed a truck on the runway Thursday, in an incident described by airport authorities as "serious."

US Airways Flight 27 to Phoenix was taking off at 6:36 am EDT (1036 GMT) when a vehicle driven by an outside contractor working at the airport drove across the runway, airport spokesman Phil Orlandella said.

Airport authorities stripped the driver of his right to drive in the airport. The flight landed safely in Phoenix.

The Boston Globe reported that the plane missed the truck by seconds, quoting an airport official as saying the incident was serious and would be investigated.

(Reuters)

I recall one or two other threads not so long ago about incursions at Boston (edit - looks like I started one of them. No agenda here, honest!). Clearly a place to keep eyes thoroughly peeled.

[barit1]

I had to endure Boston drivers for nearly ten years. None of them should be approved to drive on an airport!

That said, during a period of some airport construction, the Concorde was scheduled to arrive in BOS on a demo flight. A colleague and I drove up to a construction gate, with no credentials other than an impressive array of cameras; the guard waved us through with the caveat "Don't drive on the runway". :}

[Avman]

the plane missed the truck by seconds

A good technical description! :hmm: How about some idea of the horizontal and vertical (if any) seperation?

[lomapaseo]

during a period of some airport construction, the Concorde was scheduled to arrive in BOS on a demo flight. A colleague and I drove up to a construction gate, with no credentials other than an impressive array of cameras; the guard waved us through with the caveat "Don't drive on the runway".

Reminds me of the time that I got lost among the runways at JFK in my car.

I was trying to make my way out to a stranded B747. I was trying to follow a pickup truck ahead of me. For the life of me I couldn't tell the difference between the taxiways and the runways, both of which were occupied by moving large aircraft. A couple of times I just came to a stop and tried to sort it out, meanwhile the truck that I was following moved off in the distance turning at intersections that I couldn't see at ground level.

Then there was the time that the guard at another airport's gate just pointed to the ramp area at twilight. I got there Ok but when I tried to leave later that night to find the gate that I came in I couldn't see where to drive and ended up face to face with a taxing B727. I pulled off the taxiway into a bunch of parked planes and just huddled under a wing figuring I couldn't get hit there. I finally got out of my car an walked out to see where the concrete went to find the gate.

To me driving on a strange airport is hairraising when your eye level is so low and you have no idea of the differences between taxiways and runways until you are on one.

[RobertS975]

Video (http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/19804977/index.html)

[Not_a_pilot]

This story (http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/06/close_call_repo.html) has a bit of the edited ATC communications from ATClive.com. Not much else new.

[Avman]

NTSB Identification: OPS09IA008
Scheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of USAirways
Incident occurred Thursday, June 18, 2009 in Boston, MA
Aircraft: AIRBUS A320, registration: N662AW
Injuries: 89 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On Thursday, June 18, 2009 at about 0636 eastern daylight time, a runway incursion occurred at the General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts involving a USAirways Airbus and a construction vehicle. The construction crew crossed runway 15R at taxiway M without approval as the Airbus was on departure roll.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the operator of a Ford Explorer, was not in radio communication with BOS tower air traffic controllers and had not been cleared to cross runway 15R. The Airbus rotated approximately 500 feet from the intersection of runway 15R and taxiway M as the vehicle cleared the runway edge southbound on taxiway M. The FAA stated that it appeared the tower controller was aware of the vehicle operating on taxiway M but not its intension to cross. The ground radar alerted the controllers of the event.

Taxiway M is currently under construction and runway 15R is occasionally closed due to the construction. The Airport Authority designates the runway closure with signage which was not in place during this event indicating that the runway was an active runway. The Airport Authority also indicated that all personnel were briefed that the runway was active. The driver of the vehicle indicated that he had not been briefed to that fact. The driver has been suspended from driving on the airport pending an investigation.

The Airport Authority has ceased all construction upon completion of an investigation into the incident. USAirways flight 27, an Airbus A320, was departing Boston for Phoenix, Arizona with 84 passengers and five. There were no injuries to the crew and passengers nor damage to the airplane. The incident occurred during daylight visual meteorological conditions.