What happened
On April 17, 2024, at approximately 1645 EDT, a Swiss International Air Lines flight, an Airbus A330-343 registered HB-JHD, was preparing for departure from runway 4L at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in Jamaica, New York. The flight was a scheduled international passenger service traveling from JFK to Zurich Airport (ZRH).
At 1644:58, the local controller instructed the crew to line up and wait on runway 4L. Shortly after, at 1645:57, the crew received takeoff clearance. However, between 1645:58 and 1646:18, the controller issued instructions to four other aircraft to cross runway 4L:
- Delta Airlines flight 29 (Boeing 767-432(ER))
- American Airlines flight 2246 (Boeing 737-MAX 8)
- Republic Airlines flight 5752 (Embraer E175LR)
- Delta Airlines flight 420 (Airbus A220-100)
Upon observing the traffic on the runway, the crew of HB-JHD reported they were rejecting their takeoff. The aircraft subsequently exited runway 4L via runway 31L. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The NTSB assigned air traffic control and human factors specialists to the investigation. An ATC group met at the JFK tower during the week of April 30 to review data and conduct interviews. The investigation included representatives from the FAA, NATCA, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Republic Airlines, ALPA, APA, and the IBT, with the Swiss Transportation Safety Board (STSB) providing an accredited representative.
Data from the Airport Surveillance Detection Equipment – Model X (ASDE-X) was reviewed. The system's safety logic did not trigger an alarm during the event because the Swiss Air flight never met the specific acceleration and velocity thresholds required to transition into the departure state.