MIDWAY — A Southwest Airways flight on a collision course with a jet on Halfway Airport’s runway made a slender escape Tuesday morning.
Scary movies of the shut name exhibits the Southwest flight making its descent when a enterprise jet enters the runway.
However fast-acting Southwest pilots carried out a “go-around,” shortly lifting again up into the air for one more loop as a substitute of touchdown — avoiding a crash, in response to a press release from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is now investigating the incident.
The enterprise jet was not licensed to enter the runway, the assertion mentioned.
The Southwest flight, coming into Chicago from Omaha, landed safely shortly after the 8:50 a.m. incident.
No accidents had been reported, mentioned Larry Langford, a spokesman for the Chicago Hearth Division.
Southwest Airways and town’s aviation division didn’t instantly return requests for remark.
A Chicago-based pilot, who requested to stay nameless because of worker guidelines, referred to as the near-crash a “clear-cut runway incursion.” Pilots of the enterprise jet “learn again” directions incorrectly when directed by air visitors management to cease in need of the runway, mentioned the pilot, who reviewed radio transmissions from the incident.
“The Southwest pilots did what they had been purported to do and did it completely: Get again within the air, fly round and take a look at it once more,” the pilot mentioned. “You want they had been in a position to do this sooner.”
Runway incursions have been an industry-wide concern for years, however have turn out to be a “focus level” as airports enhance cues to pilots, put up higher signage and add lighting, the pilot mentioned.
However Halfway will not be one in every of 20 U.S. airports with runway standing lights, which “flip crimson in response to visitors,” in response to the FAA’s web site.
There have been 1,756 runway incursions for 54.4 million takeoffs and landings in 2023, in response to the U.S. Division of Transportation. About 60 % of these incursions had been from “pilot deviations.”
Eric Jones, an aviation professor at Lewis College who labored at Southwest Airways for 15 years, mentioned “go-arounds” had been widespread however Tuesday’s near-landing state of affairs was unusual.
Halfway is a busy and “very tight airport” with many intersecting runways, Jones mentioned.
“I understand how this incident can be disconcerting for the flying public,” Jones mentioned. “Nevertheless, you’re extra statistically protected getting on an airplane than different mode of transportation. Bar none.”
A industrial American Airways flight collided within the air with an Military helicopter close to Washington, D.C. final month, killing 67 folks. It was one of many deadliest airplane crashes in U.S. historical past. Different excessive–profile crashes have adopted.
Final week, the Trump administration started firing a whole lot of FAA staff, with new U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy saying the cuts wouldn’t goal “air visitors controllers and demanding security personnel.”
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