A Southwest Airlines flight, Flight 2504, approaching Chicago’s Midway Airport on Tuesday morning had to ascend again to avoid a small jet that entered the runway without permission shortly before landing. A webcam video captured the incident, showing the Southwest plane’s nose suddenly rising as it neared the runway. Fortunately, the flight landed safely after the crew took necessary precautions.
Audio recordings indicated pilot miscommunications between the small jet and air traffic control, where ground tower employees instructed the business jet to hold short of the runway, which it failed to do. The aircraft’s owner, Flexjet, acknowledged the incident and stated it would adhere to high safety standards and investigate the matter further.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are both investigating the incident. Although it was classified as a serious runway incursion, experts believe that the aviation safety record has improved overall, with fewer incursions reported in recent years. Factors influencing such incidents may include air traffic controller workload and clarity of instructions.
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