In the most recent air mishap at a US airport, a business aircraft and a commercial airliner barely avoided colliding on a Chicago airport runway.
ATC conversation-
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a business jet entered the runway without permission, forcing the South-west Airlines flight to abort a landing at Chicago Midway
The South-west aircraft circled and re-approached the landing, a move known as a “go-around.” The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are looking into the event. The crew “followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident,” according to South-west. Southwest’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft can accommodate 175 passengers, according to the airline’s website.
The business jet, which Flexjet says can carry up to nine passengers, had been taxiing on runway 31C before departing for Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Southwest jet had descended to an altitude of about 50 feet when it abandoned its landing only about 625 metres away from the business jet, according to tracking service Flightradar 24.
As it abruptly rose, the Southwest plane had only reached an altitude of 250 feet when it passed over the smaller aircraft, the service said.
Air traffic control instructed the private jet to turn left on “Runway 4L, cross Runway 31L and hold short of Runway 31C,” according to audio from LiveATC.net.
The pilot replies saying, “Alright, left on 2 – uh – 4L, cross the 22, or 13C, Flexjet 560.”
Then the air traffic controller on the ground immediately replies to the pilot, “Flexjet 560, negative! Cross 31L, hold short Runway 31C.”
Air traffic control audio from the tower also shows the moment the pilot of the Southwest plane chose to perform the go-around to avoid the private jet on the runway.
Air traffic controllers reply, “-west 2504, uh, roger that. Climb, maintain 3,000.”
Once the plane reached 3,000 feet in the air, the pilot asked the tower, “Southwest 2504, uh, how’d that happen?”
“The crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident,” a Southwest spokesperson said in an email to CNN. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement on X, “It is imperative that pilots follow the instructions of air traffic controllers. If they do not, their licenses will be pulled.” Duffy said he would provide additional updates when they become available.
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