A Southwest Airlines plane landed safely at Chicago Midway International Airport after a tense near-miss with a business jet on Tuesday morning. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the incident occurred around 8:50 AM CST when Southwest Flight 2504, arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, executed a precautionary go-around to avoid colliding with the business jet, which had entered the runway without authorization.
The close call was captured on video, showing the Southwest flight descending toward the runway just as the private jet crossed its path. Fortunately, the crew acted quickly, throttling up the engines to lift back off, ensuring all aboard returned to the air safely.
Southwest Airlines stated, “The crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.” Despite the seriousness of the situation, passengers on the flight remained largely unaware of the gravity of the moment until after arrival. Caley Maszk, one of the passengers, expressed, “I don’t think anybody knew. It was just so calm and like a normal day.”
Passengers were initially confused but reassured when their pilot calmly informed them about the situation, indicating they’d simply need to loop around for about ten minutes. Emily Novak, another passenger, recognized the skill exhibited by the flight crew: “Things happen, and that's what the pilots are trained for. They did just what they were supposed to do.”
Audio from air traffic control clearly indicated the Flexjet pilot misunderstood instructions. The controller had directed the private jet to hold short of runway 31-Center, but the pilot misinterpreted the communication and crossed the active runway nonetheless. A controller can be heard saying, “Your instructions were to hold short of runway 31 center,” as the situation unfolded.
The FAA confirmed they are currently investigating the incident alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Flexjet, the operator of the business jet involved, issued a statement acknowledging the incident and promising to conduct “a thorough investigation” to maintain the highest safety standards. They added, “Any action to rectify and assure the highest safety standards will be taken.”
This near-miss raises alarms amid increasing scrutiny of aviation safety, particularly following other high-profile incidents leading to fatal accidents this year. U.S. Representative Jesus “Chuy” Garcia called for full accountability, emphasizing the need to understand how such incidents occur to prevent them and maintain aviation safety standards.
“Thankful no one was hurt in the Midway near-miss. This was a close call, and we need to know how it happened. I’ll be pressing for full investigations to keep our skies and airports safe,” Garcia stated on social media.
With safety protocols front and center, this incident drives home the need for rigorous adherence to air traffic control instructions. Jeff Guzzetti, former NTSB member and FAA investigator, characterized the near-collision as “a very serious runway incursion,” though noted the overall trend has been toward reducing serious incidents across U.S. airports.
While nobody was injured during this incident, it serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of air travel safety and the importance of clear communication between pilots and air traffic control. This glaring issue will likely bring renewed attention to the operational challenges at U.S. airports, especially as the FAA grapples with staffing shortages and operational pressures. The aviation industry must address these problems comprehensively to prevent future near-misses and maintain public trust.
The investigation will surely yield insights and, hopefully, improvements to procedures, ensuring travelers can feel safe when boarding flights across the nation. This close call is serving as another prompt to reinforce the aviation community's commitment to safety and vigilance as air traffic continues to recover from the pandemic.