A Routine Takeoff Turns into Every Pilot's Nightmare (With Real Audio)

Find out how a distracted air traffic controller cleared an Airbus A330 and a Boeing 737 for takeoff and sent them on a collision course at Logan Airport, Boston.

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This video has been recorded and edited in 4K resolution and 60FPS.

[rxw]

The FO who noticed the other aircraft and said to keep the plane down was Jim Dannahower. He saved 381 lives.

[clairewilliams]

Happy to see the pilots who saw the conflict coming and kept the plane down until they passed were recognised for their action, that was some good work in a potentially terrifying moment.

[MsAreejali]

Hats off to US Airways Pilots, they had saved lives of two planes. Great job Flight Channel.

[austinpacheco]

I am sure there is plenty commercial rated pilots following this channel also but damn, the US Airways pilot made so many right decisions. He saw the other plane departing the other runways, at that time, he judge the trajectory of it, looked at his V1 speed, then analyzed they wouldn’t be on a crash course of each other. Then obviously rotated after the near miss. I mean wow….. incredible

[watershed]

*Hats off to the FO on USAir, he has a GREAT pair of eyes and was doing an incredible job of monitoring the airfield!*

[wadehiggins]

This is why I have so much respect for Pilots! Quick thinking saves lives, luckily they didn't use up too much of the runway and had enough to takeoff.

[jjohnston]

I can't imagine anybody thinking that having separate tower controllers managing intersecting runways on separate frequencies was a good idea.

[DurhamGooner]

You're talking "Tenerife" levels of disaster there. Amazing work by flight 1170.

[WayneM]

Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. In this case, a near miss resulted in a change of proccedures, it could have been a complete catastrophy with the loss of many lives that forced this change. Brilliant airmanship and awareness on the part of the USA crew and a well deserved commedation. Superb as always TFL

[FiggyDRandoms]

There was a crash at 2:36 involving two vehicles, apparently everyone survived.

[kylebieth]

Can you imagine being in that cockpit? Not only did you just avoid slamming into another plane but now you have a couple if seconds to rotate before you end up in the fucking drink! Incredible skill set demonstrated.

[BowlerScott]

Some of the best advice I've ever been given was "We all make mistakes. So when you make one, don't try to fix it with another mistake (lying, cheating, etc.). Own it, and then make it right the best you can." Well-done by the pilots.

[javianjohnson]

Man, the amount of in-depth research that goes into these videos has to be astounding. Hats off to TFC for all the work that you do to pump out accurate content and education to us.

[rajavivekmishra]

Let me bow down in appreciation for the amount of efforts TFC has taken to make this video. The graphics, the research, the marvelous music and the flight audio. I mean it takes hell lot of the hardwork to come up with such a beautiful content with knowledge on YouTube

[josephconnor]

USAir pilots perhaps come from a top-notch safety culture regarding airmanship. Sully was a pilot for that airline, too, for example. Great video and audio, Flight Channel!

[TVHouseHistorian]

I fly to the east coast a couple times a year, and every time, I think about everything I watch here on The Flight Channel. Without this channel, I would never suspect all the errors (both potential and fatal) that go on beyond my notice. Scary stuff.

[CaptainRonAhoy]

at 2.35, you'll see a truly horrific loss of separation by an air-stair and luggage tote. To my knowledge, there was no loss of life, but several suit cases are unaccounted for to this day.

[paull]

Major kudos to the US Airways crew. That the First Officer, with all the responsibility he had during the take off, managed to spot the Aer Lingus flight was in itself remarkable. Professionalism personified on the flight deck that day.

[tomwilson]

That luggage conveyor vehicle at 2:32 to 2:45 seemed out of control, especially when it plowed right through that luggage cart.

[LVUXO]

This was scary! These pilots saved all passengers aboard both aircraft's lives! At busy airports like Boston Logan and Kennedy, the pilots have to be the best of the best!

Always fix the problem after the near-disaster would've occurred!