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Two CAL pilots off flying duties after near miss at JFK
The two pilots that controlled the Caribbean Airlines flight that almost collided with the JetBlue aircraft at the John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) last Saturday night; were taken off flying duties in wake of an investigation into the matter.
According to news out of Trinidad and Tobago, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) Director Ramesh Lutchmedial confirmed the news in a press statement Monday.
The Trinidad Express newspaper said that Lutchmedial did not say whether the pilots were suspended, but he noted that “safety inspectors of the TTCAA are expected to meet with Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Control (ATC) officials at JFK Airport today (yesterday), to determine the facts surrounding the incident.”
Caribbean Airlines
“Caribbean Airlines Ltd is fully co-operating with the investigators,” Lutchmedial added.
The JetBlue passenger flight 1295, which was bound for Texas, was forced to abort its take-off after BW526 shot across the runway in front its path.
Reports have stated the CAL flight BW526 (a Boeing 737) had landed on runway 22L of JFK at 10:27 hours following a flight from Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) here in Guyana.
Its pilots were instructed by air traffic controllers to “hold short” or stop before the parallel runway on which JetBlue 1295 was about to gain speed for take-off.
According to a transcript of the (ATC) instructions, the CAL pilots were warned on three occasions to stop.
At 10.30 hours, the final warning was given: “Caribbean 526 hold short…526 STOP!”
The CAL pilots never responded and as a result JetBlue1295 was immediately told to abort take-off to avoid collision. The CAL pilot was said to be on the wrong radio frequency and did not hear the warning from tower control.
JetBlue was able to stop more than 2,800 feet or just over half-mile short of BW526. There were no injuries to passengers and neither plane was damaged. The Jet Blue plane, an Airbus A320, returned to the gate and took off for Austin, Texas, three hours late.
ABC News had also reported on Monday that the CAL pilots were on the wrong frequency and never heard the tower instructions and repeated calls from the tower to stop.
The Trinidad Express said it tried to confirm this information with CAL officials but their actions were futile. “All calls to the cellphone of the airline’s chairman Phillip Marshall went unanswered, while the communications department did not entertain questions.”
In a release on social media, CAL said that it was taking the allegation against the pilot seriously.
“We are in the process of investigating and compiling the facts surrounding this allegation in co-operation with all regulatory agencies,” they had stated. “In the interim, Caribbean Airlines is complying with all incident management procedures included within its Safety Management System and adjunct regulations.”
Provided below is a transcript of the ATC instructions to the CAL flight while at JFK. The information was sourced from Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (JACDEC), Germany.
At 22:25 hours
Tower: “Caribbean 526…clear to land.”
22:26 hours
Tower: “Caribbean 526 right (via) Juliett, hold short (runway) 22R. Remain this frequency.”
BWA 526: “…to the right (Caribbean) 526.”
Tower: – gave crossing clearance for runway 22R to an Aeromexico flight taxiing ahead of the Caribbean 737 –
AMX: – readback of crossing clearance –
Tower: – gave further taxi instructions after crossing 22R to Aeromexico crew –
22:27 hours
Tower: – take-off clearance for Emirates 206 (B777) on runway 25R –
Tower: “JetBlue 1295 caution wake turbulence, line-up and wait runway 22R.”
JBU 1295: – readback –
22:28 hours
Tower: – gave crossing clearance of runway 22R to Virgin America flight 56 –
22:29 hours
Tower: – gave landing clearance to a United Airlines crew for runway 22L –
Tower: …”JetBlue 1295 wind 240 at 8 runway 22R shortened cleared for take-off.”
JBU 1295: “Cleared for take-off JetBlue 1295 short.”
Tower: – gave instructions to a VFR light type –
22:30 hours
Tower: Caribbean 526 hold short…526 STOP!”
Tower: JetBlue 1295 abort take-off.”
Tower: Caribbean 526 (repeat).”
– no reply from Caribbean 526 –
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