Boston-Bound Plane Almost Collides With Another Plane

BOSTON, MA — An American Airlines flight headed to Boston's Logan International Airport Wednesday morning was immediately aborted after officials realized another plane was landing nearby, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The plane was cleared for takeoff at Washington's Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia at 10:21 a.m., but another plane had been cleared to land on a cross-runway at around the same time, officials said.

It had already reached speeds of around 100 miles per hour when it was ordered to abort the takeoff, according to WCVB.

"He was almost at the point of no return, meaning you can't stop, you have to keep flying the aircraft," Tom Kinton, former MassPort CEO and aviation expert told the outlet.

The American Airlines plane returned to the gate for inspections and finally departed for Boston around four and a half hours later, WCVB reported.

"The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we’re grateful to our crew for their professionalism," American Airlines said in a statement shared with Patch Thursday. "We will support the FAA in its investigation."