Delta Air Lines Flight 1989

For the year with the same number, see 1989.

Delta Air Lines Flight 1989

American Airlines Boeing 767-300ER, similar aircraft to Delta 1989
Occurrence
Date	September 11, 2001
Summary	Suspected hijacking/close collision with United Airlines Flight 175
Site	Boston/Cleveland Airspace
Aircraft type	Boeng 767-332
Operator	Delta Air Lines
Registration	N189DN
Fatalities	None
Injuries	None
Survivors	All on board

Delta Air Lines Flight 1989 was a regularly scheduled flight offering nonstop service from Logan International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. On September 11, 2001 it almost had a mid-air collision with United Airlines Flight 175. It was then later suspected as a hijacking until making an emergency landing at Cleveland International Airport.

Collision

Delta Flight 1989 was a regularly scheduled nonstop flight from Boston to Los Angeles. On September 11, 2001, it departed Boston International Airport at 8:25 am EDT, eleven minutes after United Airlines Flight 175. As Boston Center was tracking the declared hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, it made an unexpected turn south, making a dangerous turn into heavy air traffic. It came dangerously close to Delta 1989. It came so close, mid-air collision was imminent. Since communication between American 11 was not available, the Boston controller was frantically screaming to Delta 1989 (westbound) that American 11 (Southbound) was dead ahead. The radar read a fatally close encounter between the two aircraft. A hush went over Boston Control Center as they thought a mid-air collision had happened between the two. Seconds later, Delta 1989 contacted Boston Center stating that it had missed American 11 by approximately 200 feet thanks to some evasive piloting. American 11 continued on its suicide mission to crash into the World Trade Center. [1] [2]

Suspected hijacking

Not long after the Delta pilot had avoided American 11, Boston Center attempted to contact Delta 1989. When Delta 1989 failed to acknowledge, it was a suspected hijacking. Not long afterward, it was declared a hijacking. Boston Center had notified the FAA about another hijacked aircraft, Delta 1989. So far, it was the fifth reported hijacking. Boston was tracking Delta 1989 and not receiving any radio contact from the aircraft. However, unknown to Boston, Delta 1989 was in Cleveland airspace and in contact with Cleveland Center, completely safe. The FAA had read Delta 1989 to be in Cleveland airspace so they contacted Cleveland Center as a watch for Delta 1989 as a suspected hijacking. A Cleveland controller thought he heard "Get out of here" and "We have a bomb on board" coming from Delta 1989. The Delta pilot denied any cockpit intrusion and stated that everyone on board was fine. (It was later confirmed that that mysterious transmission had come from United Flight 93 which was in the same vicinity as 1989.) Due to all of the confusion and lack of communication between Boston and Cleveland, the airline (Delta) ordered flight 1989 to land at Cleveland. After an investigation, there was no threat aboard 1989. [3]

External links

• 9/11 Commission testimony about Delta 1989
• Traveling on Delta Flight 1989 on 9/11
• The 9/11 Commission