A potentially serious runway incident unfolded at Miami International Airport on Saturday evening when an American Airlines flight bound for Bermuda was forced to abort its takeoff after a business jet entered the same active runway.
American Airlines Flight 308 had already received takeoff clearance when the flight crew spotted another aircraft on the runway ahead. Acting quickly, the pilots rejected the takeoff, preventing what could have been a dangerous runway collision. At one point, the two aircraft were reportedly separated by just one-third of a mile.
Air traffic control audio captured a tense exchange following the incident. A controller told the business jet crew, “You just crossed an active runway,” to which the pilot responded, “You just told me to cross the runway, sir.” The controller clarified that the runway crossing clearance had been issued to a different aircraft, Amerijet Flight 461.
The business jet involved, NetJets Flight EJA434, was reportedly under the operational control of a third-party maintenance vendor at the time of the incident. NetJets stated that it is reviewing the event.
American Airlines praised its flight crew for their quick decision-making and thanked passengers for their patience. After the runway was cleared and safety checks were completed, Flight 308 later departed safely for Bermuda.
The incident comes amid a series of recent aviation safety events in the United States, including a United Airlines flight that narrowly avoided a drone while approaching Newark on Friday. As the busy Fourth of July travel period approaches, the latest runway incursion is expected to draw additional attention to airport ground safety and air traffic control procedures.
