Plane ditches landing, ordered to make go-around at Logan

BOSTON — A plane on approach at Boston Logan International Airport Monday morning had to ditch its landing after orders to keep flying from the control tower, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The spokesperson said the plane was headed for runway 33 left at Logan and controllers canceled the landing due to the presence of another flight waiting to depart from that runway.

The FAA is investigating the incident involving LATAM Airlines, which a spokesperson declined to call a runway incursion.

Passengers aboard the LATAM Airlines flight 8164 likely noticed a delay in what was already a 10-hour flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Boston.

Kevin O'Leary, Ph.D. and aviation expert, said what happened at Logan is actually fairly common for busy airports.

"You've got to remember, Boston is a very crowded airport so if one thing doesn't go perfectly correct and then the spacing gets a little closer, then they need to go around," said O'Leary.

The 'go-around' procedure is used anytime it is necessary to ensure a safe landing -- which could include changes in weather or wind. In this case, the Boeing 767 (Note: not the MAX-8 model that has been grounded) simply re-entered traffic, made a loop and landed on a second approach.

According to Flight Radar 24/7, the flight from Sao Paulo came within 100 feet of the runway before it got the order to ditch the landing and loop around.

LATAM Airlines Group sent Boston 25 News the following statement:

"We would like to provide you with the following LATAM Airlines Group statement regarding this issue:
Safety is an essential core value for LATAM and all of its employees. Every decision the company makes aims to ensure the safe operation of its more than 1300 daily flights.

Regarding flight JJ8164 (São Paulo-Boston) operated yesterday (April 1, 2019), LATAM Airlines Brazil would like to inform its customers that the aircraft was ordered by the Boston airport control tower to perform a "go-around," a routine aviation safety procedure. The aircraft followed all landing instructions from the control tower and landed normally at its destination at 10:48 pm (local time), with no complications, or any risk to the safety of passengers.

As always, LATAM followed the strictest safety standards meeting all regulations of Brazilian and international authorities and prioritizing the safety of all its passengers."

Cox Media Group