NTSB subpoenas American Airways flight crew in JFK runway incursion | CNN Enterprise

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The Nationwide Transportation Security Board, which is investigating a close to miss incident on the JFK runway final month, has issued a subpoena for the testimony of the American Airways pilots concerned.

“American Airways cleared the flight crew’s schedule to make sure their availability; nonetheless, the flight crew refused to be interviewed on the premise that their statements could be audio recorded for transcription,” the NTSB preliminary report says. “Because of the flight crew’s repeated unwillingness to proceed with a recorded interview, subpoenas for his or her testimony have been issued.”

The NTSB report says the American Airways 777 crossed an energetic runway with out clearance from air visitors management, inflicting a Delta 737 to abort its takeoff.

The report says the 2 plane got here inside 1,400 ft of one another.

Following the report, the NTSB issued a press release saying investigators “regularly use recording units in interviews, notably with those that had roles in working the gear concerned within the accident or incident.”

The company says it tried to interview the American crew on three separate events and issued a subpoena Friday to the three crew members concerned within the incident. They’ve seven days to reply, the NTSB says.

The assertion notes that the airline itself has cooperated with the investigation.

Investigators have accepted written statements from the Delta crew and decided that they include “ample data.”

As CNN has beforehand reported, the American Airways flight continued on to London’s Heathrow airport. The flight voice recorders on each plane have been overwritten, which means investigators can’t hear what was mentioned within the cockpit on the time of the incident.

The NTSB says the American crew, by means of their union, the Allied Pilots Affiliation, wouldn’t consent to the interview.

“NTSB has decided that this investigation requires that the flight crew interviews be audio recorded and transcribed by a court docket reporter to make sure the best diploma of accuracy, completeness, and effectivity,” the report says.

The APA mentioned in a press release that traditionally these interviews haven’t been recorded.

“We be part of within the purpose of making an correct file of all interviews carried out in the midst of an investigation,” the assertion mentioned. “Nonetheless, we firmly consider the introduction of digital recording units into witness interviews is extra prone to hinder the investigation course of than it’s to enhance it. Not solely could the recording of interviews result in much less candid responses from these witnesses who could select to proceed beneath such necessities, however the existence and potential availability of interview recordings upon conclusion of an investigation will have a tendency to steer many in any other case keen crew members to elect to not take part in interviews in any respect. Both end result wouldn’t serve to advance the purpose of conducting efficient investigations so as to promote aviation security.”

The union says the interviews ought to be “fact-finding” and never adversarial.

“We’re assured that an appropriate resolution to this situation exists that might fulfill the wants and issues of all events concerned in these investigatory interviews,” the union wrote.