BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: In a final report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Thursday, August 3, it was revealed that a charter jet pilot took off from Boston Logan International Airport without authorization earlier in 2023, resulting in a near-collision with a JetBlue flight that was preparing to land on an intersecting runway.
The incident occurred on February 27, with a startling screen grab from a video taken from the JetBlue cockpit showing the moment the Hop-A-Jet aircraft crossed the runway just in front of the incoming JetBlue Flight 206.
What did officials find?
According to the report, the Boston tower controller had instructed the pilot of the charter flight, identified as HPJ280, to "line up and wait" on the runway while JetBlue Flight 206 had been cleared to land. However, the HPJ280's flight crew mistakenly began the takeoff roll instead of following the given instructions. "The airport surface detection equipment, model X (ASDE-X) alerted, and the controller issued go-around instructions to JBU206," the report stated. As a result, the JetBlue flight initiated a "go-around" procedure before reaching the intersection, avoiding a potentially catastrophic collision, per the New York Post.
The two planes got dangerously close occurred when the JetBlue flight was approximately 30ft off the ground, right where both runways intersected. A "go-around" is a flight procedure in which an arriving aircraft aborts its landing and is resequenced for a new approach.
'My apologies'
The captain of the Hop-A-Jet flight, Alvaro Donado, 63, explained to investigators that he had heard air traffic controllers instructing him to "line up and wait" before takeoff. “I cannot understand what happened to me during the clearance, the only thing that comes to my mind is that the cold temperature in Boston affected me, I was not feeling completely well and had a stuffed nose,” Donado said in a statement to the NTSB, adding, “My apologies.”
Upon landing at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in Florida, where Hop-A-Jet is headquartered, the crew was informed by the Boston tower that they had taken off without permission, causing JetBlue Flight 206 to execute the go-around, passing approximately 400 feet above them.
Who owns Hop-A-Jet?
Hop-A-Jet was founded by the late Harvey N Hop, a decorated naval aviator and military veteran. During his lifetime, Hop logged over 37,000 flight hours and earned several prestigious awards for his service. After retiring from the military, Hop became Director of Flight Operations at Collins Radio in Iowa and later joined Bill Lear's aircraft sales department.
In 1977, at the age of 70, Hop founded Hop-A-Jet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, based on his strict military training and principles of well-maintained aircraft, extensively trained crews, excellent customer service and a firm commitment to safety. The company has since achieved international success, serving a diverse clientele that includes celebrities, critically-ill patients and the transportation of vital organs and aircraft parts.
The legacy of Hop continues through the extended family of more than 250 pilots he trained, many of whom have gone on to open their own aviation businesses or work for commercial airlines. Barry Ellis, one of those pilots, now serves as the president of Hop-A-Jet, preserving and upholding the company's foundation of excellence in aviation, per their website.
