Runway scare: Delta jet halts takeoff as AeroMéxico nearly lands overhead; collision avoided
A near-catastrophic incident occurred on Monday at Mexico City's airport when an AeroMéxico regional aircraft landed while crossing over a
Delta Air Lines
Boeing 737 that had begun its takeoff procedure on the same runway.
The Delta aircraft, Flight 590, carrying 144 passengers and six crew members, was initiating its departure when the flight crew noticed another aircraft landing directly ahead of them, according to Delta's official statement, quoted by CNN.
Data from Flightradar 24 indicates that AeroMéxico Connect flight 1631, operating an Embraer 190 regional aircraft, descended to less than 200 feet above the moving Delta aircraft before touching down on runway 5R.
The Delta crew aborted their takeoff and returned to the terminal. The flight eventually departed for Atlanta approximately three hours behind schedule.
In air traffic control recordings shared by ABC News, the Delta pilot can be heard saying, "We are holding on the runway." This was followed by another individual exclaiming, "Wow" and "Increíble," which is Spanish for "incredible." It remains unclear whether these remarks were made by a nearby pilot or a controller.
Delta confirmed reporting the incident to Mexican aviation authorities and relevant US bodies, including the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board. The airline was quoted by CNN saying, "Delta will fully cooperate with authorities as the circumstances around this flight are investigated. We appreciate the flight crew's actions to maintain situational awareness and act quickly – part of Delta's extensive training.
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The FAA had previously lowered Mexico's aviation safety rating in May 2021 due to insufficient international safety compliance. The nation regained its "category one" status in September 2023, following the FAA's provision of "expertise and resources via technical assistance... to resolve the safety issues that led to the downgrade," according to the agency's statement.
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