Terrified travelers speeding down a Tennessee runway were jolted by a violent stop -only to learn their Delta plane had narrowly avoided a collision with a small aircraft crossing its path.
On Thursday morning, Flight 2724 – a packed Airbus A321 – was cleared for takeoff from Nashville International Airport, bound for Minneapolis-St. Paul, News Channel 5 Nashville reported.
But what happened next left passengers shaken, as the routine departure came to a screeching halt when the pilot, traveling at over 100mph, slammed on the brakes – barely avoiding what could have been a fatal collision with a single-engine plane.
‘We were looking at each other like, what’s happening? This is like super scary,’ Russ King, a passenger on the flight, told the outlet.
‘And because of all the things that we’ve seen recently, honestly, I was waiting for impact,’ he added.
Just before 10am, air traffic control recordings obtained by the outlet revealed that the Delta flight had been cleared for takeoff – and began accelerating down the runway, preparing to lift off.
‘The engines revved up and it felt like we were just about to go wheels up,’ recalled Russ. Another traveler, Terry Sharp, said he was actively bracing for the moment the plane would lift into the sky.
‘The plane is moving very fast and so you’re getting ready – you’re kind of going back in your seat because you’re getting ready to go up,’ Sharp explained.
On Thursday morning, Flight 2724 – a packed Airbus A321 – was cleared for takeoff from Nashville International Airport, bound for Minneapolis-St. Paul. But in just a few moments, passengers were jolted by a violent stop (pictured)
The routine departure came to a screeching halt when the pilot, traveling at over 100mph, slammed on the brakes – barely avoiding what could have been a deadly collision with a single-engine Piper Cherokee (pictured)
Mindy and Russ King (pictured), both passengers on the flight, explained that they had never experienced something like this throughout all their years of flying
But in just a moment’s time, the pilot abruptly slammed on the brakes, bringing the roaring aircraft to a grinding stop.
‘I was amazed at a plane going that fast – it seemed to be able to stop so quickly,’ Sharp added.
The sudden jolt sent a shockwave through the cabin, cutting the rising hum of takeoff into an eerie silence. Fear and confusion hung heavy in the air, as passengers sat frozen, unsure of what had just happened – or what might come next.
Mindy King, Russ’s wife and a former flight attendant, told the outlet she had ‘never’ experienced anything like that in all her years of flying.
‘I’m used to turbulence and not necessarily stops,’ she said. ‘It wasn’t your typical “we’re just going to slow down here.” I mean, it was, “we’re stopping.”‘
Sharp concurred, adding: ‘I’ve flown quite a bit – over two million miles with Delta – and I’ve never had that experience until this time.’
The energy in the cabin remained, as Russ described it, ‘silent and tense,’ with passengers unaware that a single-engine Piper Cherokee – having just landed moments earlier – had unexpectedly crossed back onto the runway, directly into the path of their commercial flight.
However, with no word yet from the pilot, Mindy began to piece things together as she glanced out the window.
Terry Sharp (pictured), another passenger, concurred, adding: ‘I’ve flown quite a bit – over two million miles with Delta – and I’ve never had that experience until this time’
It was later discovered that the single-engine Piper Cherokee – having just landed moments earlier – had unexpectedly crossed back onto the runway, directly into the path of their commercial flight (stock photo)
When they finally landed in Minneapolis, Russ (left) asked the pilot whether he had personally seen the danger and made the decision to stop, to which he responded: ‘Yes, absolutely. I saw it myself’
‘I saw this small, tiny plane going to the right of us,’ Mindy told the outlet.
‘Still nothing, still crickets from the captain,’ she added. ‘And we were like, is he going to say anything?’
Finally, the captain came over the loudspeaker to address the shaken passengers – just as Mindy, by chance, had begun recording.
‘As we began our takeoff roll, that aircraft did not stop and was crossing our runway ahead of us,’ the pilot can be heard explaining.
It was later revealed through recorded air traffic control communications that just seconds after giving the go-ahead, the controller urgently called out: ‘Delta 2724, cancel takeoff clearance.’
‘That small aircraft there was supposed to take a right turn on Kilo,’ the controller explained to the Delta crew. Instead, he continued, the single-engine ‘made a left there.’
‘It’s been an eventful morning. I appreciate the stop there. Way to be aware. Thank you,’ the ATC employee said in appreciation to the pilot’s quick response.
The incident was eerily similar to one that happened in September of last year, when an Alaska Airlines flight had to abort takeoff after nearly colliding with another plane – causing it to blow out its tires after the pilot slammed on the brakes.
The incident was eerily similar to one that happened in September of last year, when an Alaska Airlines flight had to abort takeoff after nearly colliding with another plane – causing it to blow out its tires after the pilot slammed on the brakes (pictured)
The pilot knew he had to ensure the aircraft was safe to continue after the near-catastrophic incident – especially after executing such an abrupt and rare maneuver for a plane of that size (pictured: Terry Sharp)
Although it remains unclear whether the incident was caused by the small plane, a miscommunication by air traffic controllers, or a combination of both, the Federal Aviation Administration has since launched an investigation
With this in mind, the pilot knew he had to ensure the aircraft was safe to continue – especially after executing such an abrupt and rare maneuver for a plane of that size.
‘I’m going to take care of our necessary checklist that we need to accomplish after we go through a maneuver like that – along with a phone call – and then see if we can get back upon our way,’ he was heard telling passengers.
After asking everyone to remain seated, the pilot reassured the cabin, saying, ‘Everything’s fine’ – a much-needed statement amid a year already marked by a string of high-profile aviation mishaps.
When they finally landed in Minneapolis, Russ asked the pilot whether he had personally seen the danger and made the decision to stop – or if he had only hit the brakes after receiving the air traffic controller’s urgent command.
According to Russ, the pilot replied without hesitation: ‘Yes, absolutely. I saw it myself.’ With that, Russ gave him a fist bump – a quiet gesture of respect for the quick decision that may have saved lives.
Reflecting on how the pilot may have felt in those moments, Mindy referred to his quick response as ‘very informative and very brave,’ according to the outlet.
‘I think, you know, there’s like problems with flying. My heart goes to him for, you know, like being aware and trained and wise and proper because it could have been awful,’ Mindy said.
‘It could have been really awful – not only for us, but for that little plane that wasn’t paying attention and wasn’t listening,’ she added.
Although it remains unclear whether the incident was caused by the small plane, a miscommunication by air traffic controllers, or a combination of both, the Federal Aviation Administration has since launched an investigation.
