Preliminary Report: Close call for CRJ and 172 at ABE

Bombardier CRJ700, Allentown, Pa., Sept. 19, 2008–A Mesa Airlines CRJ was involved in a runway incursion with a Cessna 172 at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) in night VMC. The 172 was landing on Runway 6 when the tower told the CRJ to position and hold on the same runway. As the CRJ was taking off, the 172 missed its taxiway exit and continued down the runway. The CRJ aborted and managed to swerve around the 172, missing it by 10 feet. No one in the CRJ was injured; the NTSB had no information on the Cessna. The same controller cleared both aircraft.