At Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, a major accident was narrowly prevented when one passenger aircraft attempted to take off while another landed on the same runway. The incident occurred on Monday, and flight tracking data revealed that the two aircraft came within 60 metres of each other.
According to ABC News, Aeromexico Flight 1631 landed on the runway just ahead of Delta Airlines Flight 590, which was preparing for takeoff to Atlanta. At the time, the Delta aircraft had reached a speed of 95 km/h.
Delta Airlines reported that the pilots aborted takeoff after noticing the other aircraft landing ahead of them on the same runway. The aircraft returned to the gate to ensure the safety of its 150 passengers. The flight was rescheduled and later completed without further issue.
Audio recordings from air traffic control released after the incident revealed the Delta pilot saying “We’re on the runway,” followed by someone exclaiming in Spanish, “Wow, unbelievable.” It is still unclear whether the comment came from a controller or a pilot.
ABC News aviation analyst and former fighter pilot Steve Ganyard noted that Mexico City Airport has two parallel runways, but a miscommunication or incorrect instruction from the controller may have occurred. He also pointed out that simultaneous clearances for landing and takeoff might have been mistakenly issued.
