Another day, another very close call on a runway at a major US airport… what else is new?

Delta & Cape Air cleared on intersecting Boston runways

VASAviation has the story of an incident that happened on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Boston Logan Airport (BOS). This involves an arriving Delta Airbus A330-900neo and a departing Cape Air Cessna 402.

Delta flight DL263 was cleared to land on runway 4R, and when that landing clearance was given, the air traffic controller even proactively mentioned “traffic holding on the crossing runway.” Indeed, Cape Air flight 9K548 was holding on runway 15R, awaiting takeoff clearance.

However, a short while later, the air traffic controller gave the Cape Air flight takeoff clearance. Just to be crystal clear, runways 4R and 15R intersect, and this clearance was given before the Delta plane landed.

The Cape Air pilots seemed to take around 20 seconds to start their takeoff roll, and then the air traffic controller realized that the departing plane and arriving plane were close to being on a collision course. So he instructed the Delta jet to go around at the very last second, just moments before it was due to touch down.

Not only that, but the Cape Air pilots were given instructions to “go low,” recognizing even the potential risk of the two planes colliding in the sky, given their intercepting paths.

Clearly the Cape Air pilots were looking out their right window at this point and realized what was going on, and they said on frequency “what the heck.” Meanwhile one of the Delta pilots said on frequency “that was close.” The Delta pilot requested the number to call for the tower, given the severity of the situation.

What contributed to this very close call in Boston?

Obviously it’s on the air traffic controller for clearing a plane to land and clearing a plane to take off on intersecting runways.

That being said, I think there’s a little more to this. I don’t think the air traffic controller just totally spaced on having given landing clearance to the Delta jet when he gave the Cape Air plane takeoff clearance. Instead, I think he was expecting the Cape Air pilots would start their takeoff roll right away, which would’ve provided a more comfortable level of separation.

The Cape Air pilots waited around 20 seconds after receiving their clearance to start the takeoff roll, which is a bit longer than usual, but not unheard of. Admittedly there’s no official time limit, and it’s not like they were given instructions to commence their takeoff roll with “no delay,” or anything. They also weren’t specifically warned about the Delta plane landing on the intersecting runway.

What can really be said otherwise? Air traffic controllers have a lot of stress, there’s always pressure to allow more takeoffs and landings to keep planes moving, and on top of that, they now haven’t been receiving their pay for about a month due to the government shutdown, which definitely adds even more stress to their lives.

To the controller’s credit, at least he was the the one to call the go around…

Bottom line

There was a close call at Boston Logan Airport, as a heavy Delta jet was cleared to land on a runway intersecting with one where a Cape Air plane was taking off. The air traffic controller only caught this at the very last second, at which point the go around was called. Obviously the pilots weren’t too happy about this.

I suspect the Cape Air pilots taking a bit longer than usual to start the takeoff roll contributed to this, but it’s not like they violated any rules by doing so.

What do you make of this close call at Boston Logan?