- Date
- July 11, 2007, 14:37 local (18:37 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Injuries
- 307 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Operational Factors Division
- Parties
- HQ
- Case key
- 66190
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The probable cause of this incident was the United flightcrews' inadvertant entry onto an active runway.
The probable cause of this incident was the United 1544 flight crew's inadvertent entry onto the active runway.
Analysis
On July 11, 2007, at 1437 Eastern daylight time a runway incursion occurred at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, (FLL), Fort Lauderdale, Florida between United (UAL) flight 1544, an A-320 and Delta Airlines (DAL) flight 1489, a Boeing 757. The incident occurred in day visual flight rules conditions, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 4,800 feet.
On July 11, 2007, at 1437 Eastern daylight time a runway incursion occurred at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, (FLL), Fort Lauderdale, Florida between United (UAL) flight 1544, an A-320 and Delta Airlines (DAL) flight 1489, a Boeing 757. The incident occurred in day visual flight rules conditions, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 4,800 feet.
The FLL ground controller (GC) instructed UAL1544 to taxi to runway 9L via taxiways T7, D, and B. As the flight was taxiing on taxiway D near runway 9L, the tower local controller (LC) noticed the airplane was going too fast to hold short of the runway. LC told the GC to tell UAL to stop. The GC said "UAL 1544 stop, stop, stop". The crew stopped on runway 9L, 30 feet from the centerline.
DAL1489 was inbound for landing on runway 9L when LC determined that UAL1544 was not going to hold short of the runway. LC instructed DAL1489 to go around. When the crew received the instruction, the main landing gear was on the ground. According to the crew statement, they noted the urgency in the controller's voice so they knew they had to get the aircraft airborne. FAA reported DAL1489 flew over UAL1544 by less than 100 feet.
According to the FAA, the UAL crew stated they missed the turn onto taxiway B.
FLL air traffic control tower is not equipped with either AMASS or ASDE-X. All airport lighting was functioning normally.
Factual narrative
On July 11, 2007, at 1437 Eastern daylight time a runway incursion occurred at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, (FLL), Fort Lauderdale, Florida between United (UAL) flight 1544, an A-320 and Delta Airlines (DAL) flight 1489, a Boeing 757. The incident occurred in day visual flight rules conditions, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 4,800 feet.
The FLL ground controller (GC) instructed UAL1544 to taxi to runway 9L via taxiways T7, D, and B. As the flight was taxiing on taxiway D near runway 9L, the tower local controller (LC) noticed the airplane was going too fast to hold short of the runway. LC told the GC to tell UAL to stop. The GC said "UAL 1544 stop, stop, stop". The crew stopped on runway 9L, 30 feet from the centerline.
DAL1489 was inbound for landing on runway 9L when LC determined that UAL1544 was not going to hold short of the runway. LC instructed DAL1489 to go around. When the crew received the instruction, the main landing gear was on the ground. According to the crew statement, they noted the urgency in the controller's voice so they knew they had to get the aircraft airborne. FAA reported DAL1489 flew over UAL1544 by less than 100 feet.
According to the FAA, the UAL crew stated they missed the turn onto taxiway B.
FLL air traffic control tower is not equipped with either AMASS or ASDE-X. All airport lighting was functioning normally.
On July 11, 2007, at 1437 Eastern daylight time a runway incursion occurred at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, (FLL), Fort Lauderdale, Florida between United (UAL) flight 1544, an A-320 and Delta Airlines (DAL) flight 1489, a Boeing 757. The incident occurred in day visual flight rules conditions, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 4,800 feet.
The FLL ground controller (GC) instructed UAL1544 to taxi to runway 9L via taxiways T7, D, and B. As the flight was taxiing on taxiway D near runway 9L, the tower local controller (LC) noticed the airplane was going too fast to hold short of the runway. LC told the GC to tell UAL to stop. The GC said "UAL 1544 stop, stop, stop". The crew stopped short of runway 9L.
DAL1489 was inbound for landing on runway 9L when LC determined that UAL1544 was not going to hold short of the runway. LC instructed DAL1489 to go around. When the crew received the instruction, the main landing gear was on the ground. According to the crew statement, they noted the urgency in the controller's voice so they knew they had to get the aircraft airborne.
According to the FAA, the UAL crew stated they missed the turn onto taxiway B. According to recorded flight data, the aircraft missed colliding by 230 feet laterally.
FLL air traffic control tower is not equipped with either AMASS or ASDE-X. All airport lighting was functioning normally.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N6714Q
- Reported as
- Boeing 757-232
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Airlines Inc Dfw Base Maintenance
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KATL · Atlanta, GA
- Destination
- KFLL · Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FLL · Fort Lauderdale International, runway 9L, 9,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
- Registration
- N487UA
- Reported as
- Airbus A-320
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- United Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KFLL · Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Destination
- KIAD · Washington, DC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FLL · Fort Lauderdale International
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N6714Q
- Injuries
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC)
- Wind
- 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KFLL
Other investigations on N6714Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.