American airlines Pilot aligns with wrong runway Close Call

A runway change on approach to San Francisco International Airport created a developing conflict between an arriving American Airlines Boeing 767 and a United aircraft being positioned on the parallel runway. The American crew had originally been assigned Runway 28R, then received an instruction to change to 28L. The crew read back the new assignment, but the aircraft continued aligned toward 28R.

The distinction between a clearance and the aircraft's actual position became critical. While the American 767 continued its approach toward 28R, a United aircraft was instructed to line up and wait on that runway. The two operations were therefore converging on the same piece of pavement even though the American flight was supposed to be using 28L.

The Alignment Became the Problem

The incident record does not describe a mechanical failure or an intentional maneuver. It describes a runway-assignment change that was read back by the American crew, followed by continued alignment with the previously assigned runway. That is the documented sequence, and it is enough to explain why the situation became a close call without assigning a cause that the sources do not establish.

Controllers recognized the developing conflict before the American aircraft reached the runway. The United aircraft was protected from entering the runway, and the American crew went around. The American flight subsequently landed safely.

A Close Call, Not a Collision

That outcome matters. The records do not report a collision, injury or aircraft damage. The event is therefore best described as a runway-alignment and traffic-separation close call rather than an accident. The aircraft did not reach the point of contact, and the go-around removed the immediate conflict.

The archived contemporary account identifies the event as involving an American Airlines Boeing 767 arriving from Dallas and a United aircraft on the ground at San Francisco. It states that the American flight had been changed from 28R to 28L, that the readback was made, and that the aircraft nevertheless continued toward 28R. It also records the subsequent go-around and safe landing.

What the Record Actually Shows

The strongest factual lesson is the gap between the clearance and the aircraft's physical alignment. A correct readback does not, by itself, establish that an aircraft has actually turned toward the assigned runway. In this case, the developing mismatch was recognized before the aircraft reached the runway, allowing the situation to be resolved with a go-around.

Date: 7 April 2015

Location: San Francisco International Airport, California

Outcome: Go-around; American flight later landed safely; no collision, injury or aircraft damage reported in the reviewed sources.

“An American Airlines B763 arriving at San Francisco from Dallas is told to change their runway to 28L instead of 28R that had been their previously assigned runway.”

Accident Facts

Timeline

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