American pilots agree to appear before NTSB

American Airlines pilots who declined recorded interviews with federal aviation safety investigators after a close call on a runway in New York will now talk.

The National Transportation Safety Board said last week it would subpoena the pilots of an American Airlines Boeing 777 that crossed a runway at New York’s JFK International Airport without air traffic control clearance as a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 jet was taking off on Jan. 13.

The Delta jet aborted its takeoff, and there was no collision, but it prompted a federal investigation and after written statements, the NTSB wanted to talk more with the American Airlines crew. But the Allied Pilots Association representing American pilots initially rejected the request, saying that taperecorded interviews were unusual, while federal investigators said they were necessary for accuracy.

The NTSB said it would subpoena pilots to get the interviews.

This week, the Allied Pilots Association said the interviews will go ahead.

“The pilots intend to appear for their interviews, in accordance with the subpoenas,” Allied Pilots Association spokesman Dennis Tajer said.

The NTSB doesn’t have access to the cockpit voice recorders from the incident because the data is overwritten after two hours. The agency has pushed to have the information stored for longer.

During the Jan. 13 incident, the two planes came within about 1,400 feet of one another. The Delta pilots spotted the American Airlines plane about 2,700 feet from the taxiway intersection and braked. The American plane proceeded to take off for London while the Delta Air Lines flight stopped, taking off minutes later.

The Allied Pilots Association argued that recorded interviews may actually undermine the investigation process.