A Southwest Airlines plane nearly collided with the airport on Tuesday morning as a private jet scurried across its course without permission, forcing it to dismiss landing at the last minute.
” Abort! reject”! — Seconds to spare
West Flight 2504, a Boeing 737 email from Omaha, Nebraska, was mere feet from touching down when the personal Challenger 350 immediately moved onto the airport, creating a potentially fatal situation.
The Southwest aircraft had to respond instantly, according to stunning images, yanking the aircraft back into the air just before impact. As the plane climbed quickly to prevent a fatal crash, passengers onsite felt the engines wave.
” The staff followed security procedures, and the aircraft landed without incident”, Southwest Airlines after confirmed, though the extraordinary moment left some shaken.
FAA investigates ‘runway incursion‘
The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) has launched an investigation into the unauthorized movement of the private jet, which departed for Knoxville, Tennessee, shortly after the incident. Authorities are examining whether pilot error, confusion, or an air traffic control monitoring led to the near contact.
Aviation experts claim that the incident highlights growing concerns about airport protection and near-collisions at major airports despite the absence of any reports.
A number of aircraft tragedies cause alarms
This near-disaster occurs in the wake of a string of aircraft tragedies that have made headlines recently:
- January 2024: A US Army aircraft collided with an American Airlines aircraft near Washington, DC, killing 67 people.
- In February of this year, a medical plane crashed into a street in Philadelphia, causing seven people to fall and die.
- Next year: A Delta trip crash-landed in Toronto, flipping back down and bursting into flames.
One thing is for certain as federal prosecutors piece together what transpired in Chicago: there is a razor-thin margin of error in the stars.
