As reported in the Sunday Tribune last year, the US Airways plane with 109 people on board and the packed Aer Lingus airbus bound for Shannon were both mistakenly given clearance for takeoff within a minute of each other on intersecting runways.

As both planes hurtled towards each other at speeds of almost 200 mph, the US Airways pilot, Jim Dannahower recalled how suddenly to the horror of the crew and passengers, the Irish jet "filled our windscreen" and suddenly started to climb above them.

Though the Aer Lingus plane's wheels were still on the ground, its nose was about 25 feet in the air. Rather than abort take-off and risk plunging the plane into the nearby sea, Dannahower pushed hard on the controls which kept the US plane on the ground for another few seconds, allowing the Aer Lingus plane to soar over its roof.

According to the US based National Transport Safety Board's report on what it terms a 'runway incursion', the two planes missed each other by about 50 feet vertically.

With a total of 381 passengers on board both planes with full fuel tanks, Dannahower's actions avoided what US newspaper reports said "would have been the worstever air tragedy on US soil".

"That was close", Dannahower was reported to have said back to the control tower at Logan Airport in Boston.

He added that it was the closest he had ever come to death in his 20-year flying career.

The pilot of the Aer Lingus airbus, who also had over 20 years flying experience, reported the near-miss to the Air Accident Investigation Unit here in Ireland when he landed safely back in Shannon.

An inspector from the AAIU, which operates under the Department of Transport, was invited over by the US based NTSB to sit in on the investigation into the incident.

According to US reports, a female controller at Logan Airport had given the Aer Lingus plane clearance for take off at 7:38am on Saturday morning, 9 June 2005.

According to protocol, she informed her male colleague, who was in charge of the US airways jet awaiting clearance on the intersecting runaway, that she was about to release the Irish jet.

But one minute later the male controller cleared the US airways jet for take-off, sending it into the path of the oncoming Aer Lingus plane.

He explained that he forgot the Irish jet would be crossing the path of his plane. He was later forced to undergo 19 days of retraining.

Last November, the NTSB recommended that US airports install radar systems which positively control ground movement of all aircraft with direct warning to pilots rather than through traffic controllers.

"Until there is such a system in place in all airports, the potential for this type of disaster will continue to be high", said the NTSB.

Dannahower will receive the Airline Pilots Association Superior Airmanship Award at a ceremony in Washington this Thursday.