C Series Aircraft Ltd Ptnrsp BD-500-1A10 N104DU and Embraer-Empresa Brasileira De ERJ 170-200 LR N210JQ and Boeing 737-8 N342RX and Boeing 767-432ER N838MH incident near Queens, New York

Probable cause

Nonstandard crossing phraseology and ineffective coordination between local controller 1 (LC1) and local controller 2 (LC2) which resulted in degraded shared situation awareness, and a runway incursion.

NTSB analysis

This incident occurred when Swiss International Air Lines flight 17K (SWR17K), an Airbus A330343, was involved in a runway incursion on runway 4L at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Jamaica, New York, after four aircraft were cleared to cross the runway during its takeoff roll. The four crossing aircraft were Delta Air Lines flight 29 (DAL29), a Boeing 767-432ER, Delta Air Lines flight 420 (DAL420), an Airbus A220-100, Republic Airlines flight 5752 (RPA5752), an Embraer E175LR and America Airlines flight 2246 (AAL2246), a Boeing 737 MAX 8. SWR17K rejected the takeoff at about 50 knots, when three aircraft entered runway 4L and a fourth was nearing the edge of the runway; the nearest aircraft (DAL29) was traveling at 14 knots and was about 4,692 feet away from SWR17K at the time of the rejected takeoff.

At the time of the runway incursion, the local controller 2 (LC2) was responsible for operations on runway 4L, and the local controller 1 (LC1) was responsible for operations on runway 4R and all the taxiways between runways 4L and 4R.

LC2 cleared an airplane for takeoff and instructed SWR17K to line up and wait on runway 4L. LC2 subsequently directed LC1 to cross awaiting aircraft over runway 4L behind SWR17K at intersections Yankee Alpha (YA), Golf (G), Fox (F), Hotel (H), to which the LC1 replied roger, behind the departure, I’ll go one at each. Subsequently the LC1 began to issue sequential instructions for four aircraft (DAL29, AAL2246, RPA5752, DAL420) to cross runway 4L at these four intersections. At 1645:50, SWR17K was cleared for takeoff.

SWR17K began its takeoff roll as the four aircraft were approaching the taxiway intersections with runway 4L. At 1646:15, SWR17K rejected the takeoff at approximately 50 knots, reporting traffic on the runway. At that time, DAL29, RPA5752, and AAL2246 had entered runway 4L, while DAL420 was approaching the runway edge.

The standard operating procedures (SOP) at JFK allowed for simultaneous runway crossings at multiple intersections. Furthermore, the SOP required that explicit runway and intersection identification be used between controllers for these clearances and prohibited the use of generalized instructions for simultaneous runway crossings of multiple aircraft. The phraseology used by LC1 and LC2 controllers in this incident, including “behind the departure” and “one at each,” was inconsistent with this SOP. As a result, LC1’s understanding of the intended sequence differed from LC2’s intent. Specifically, LC1 interpreted the crossing clearance as applicable to the departure preceding SWR17K and initiated runway crossings after that airplane had departed, rather than delaying crossings until SWR17K had passed the applicable intersections as LC2 intended.

The absence of precise standard phraseology and the failure to explicitly restate the crossing condition degraded the shared situational awareness between LC1 and LC2, likely leading LC1 to misidentify the aircraft authorized to cross behind traffic. As a result, multiple aircraft were cleared to cross and subsequently occupied runway 4L during SWR17K’s takeoff roll, resulting in a runway incursion and rejected takeoff.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DCA24FA164 for the full record.