A flight destined for London had to slam on the brakes during takeoff at JFK Airport on Thursday to avoid colliding with another aircraft.
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Norse Atlantic Airways Flight Z0702 was departing from the bustling Queens airport shortly after 6 p.m. when it was forced to abort takeoff due to a potential obstruction on the runway, the airline said.
However, the obstruction wasn’t mundane like debris or staff zooming around in golf carts. It reportedly happened to be another airplane.
According to a Norse steward per The New York Post, the “potential obstruction” referred to another flight set to take off around the same time from a nearby intersecting runway.
The outlet reports that the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner reached a speed of 87 knots (approximately 100 mph) before suddenly decelerating and making a swift left turn back onto the taxiway.
The flight took off again shortly after and landed safely at London’s Gatwick Airport six hours later without any incidents.
Speaking anonymously to The Post, the Norse flight attendant downplayed the incident. They highlighted that the other aircraft was located at the far end of the crossing runway.
“JFK is very busy,” the steward told the outlet. “You look both ways before crossing.”
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Meanwhile, one of the flight’s passengers, Angela Blevins, recounted the butt-clenching moment.
“No one really screamed, except maybe a few sudden utterances because we stopped so quickly,” she told The Post. However, despite the brush with death, the passenger claimed everyone aboard was as cool as a cucumber.
“It didn’t feel like a crash or that we were in danger,” she added.
Norse Airlines also downplayed the moment, stating that the incident was minor and that no one was in immediate danger.
“Norse Atlantic Airways flight Z0 702 from New York JFK to London Gatwick performed a rejected take-off due to a potential obstruction on the runway,” the airline explained.
“The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and our pilots are highly trained for such events. The flight departed shortly afterwards with only a minor delay,” they added.