American Airlines Crew Refuses NTSB Interview Over Runway Incident
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has subpoenaed the flight crew of an American Airlines plane that was involved in a near collision at JFK airport last month.
On January 13th, an American Airlines Boeing 777 crossed the runway without clearance from air traffic control, causing a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-900 plane to abort its takeoff. The Delta flight came to a safe stop about 500 feet short of the taxiway.
NTSB Attempts to Interview American Airlines Crew
The NTSB has attempted to interview the American Airlines flight crew three times, however, they have refused to participate on the basis that their statements would be recorded for transcription. The NTSB believes that recording these interviews is essential to the investigation in the absence of a cockpit voice recording.
Allied Pilots Association Raises Concerns
The Allied Pilots Association, which represents 15,000 American Airlines pilots, has raised concerns over the NTSB’s recent insistence on recording crew interviews electronically. The union believes that this practice will hinder the investigation process rather than improve it.
There were a total of 12 crew members and 137 passengers on the American Airlines flight, and 6 crew members and 153 passengers on the Delta flight.