Miami Runway Close Call: FAA Probes A319 and Phenom 300 Near-Miss at KMIA

The Federal Aviation Administration announced June 27 that it has opened an investigation into a Miami runway close call involving an American Airlines Airbus A319 and an Embraer Phenom 300 business jet. The near-collision occurred at Miami International Airport (KMIA) on June 25, when American Airlines Flight 308 — bound for Bermuda — aborted its takeoff after the flight crew spotted another aircraft on the runway. The American Airlines jet reportedly came within approximately one-third of a mile of the business jet before stopping.

Operational Review

Air traffic control audio cited by CNN and ABC News suggests there was confusion between the controller and the Phenom 300 pilot regarding whether the business jet had received clearance to cross the active runway. NetJets, the operator of the Phenom 300, stated that the aircraft was in the care of a third-party maintenance vendor at the time of the incident. American Airlines confirmed the crew halted the departure on their own initiative after observing the conflict despite having received a takeoff clearance.

The FAA probe comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of runway incursion risks at high-volume hubs. Investigators are expected to review the KMIA airfield diagram and assess the effectiveness of ground-movement monitoring systems and controller phraseology. The incident adds to a recent cluster of runway safety events being closely watched by regulators as the July 4 travel peak approaches.