[VIDEO] Pilots Swiftly Abort Landing To Avoid Colliding Into Private Jet On Runway
Close call.
By Tamara Jayne — 26 Feb 2025, 11:11 AM
A Southwest Airlines flight aborted its landing at Chicago Midway International Airport on Tuesday morning, 25 February, after a private jet mistakenly entered the runway without authorisation
The incident, which occurred around 8.50am local time, is now under investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), according to CNN.
Southwest Flight 2504, arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, was moments from touching down when its pilots had to quickly pull up to avoid a potential collision with a Bombardier Challenger 350 private jet.
Video footage shows the Southwest flight just inches from the runway before the pilots powered up and climbed skyward, passing over the private jet at an altitude of approximately 250 feet
Preliminary data from FlightRadar24 indicates the planes came within 2,050 feet of each other, CBS News reported.
The private jet, operated by Flexjet and headed for Knoxville, Tennessee, had been instructed by air traffic control to stop before entering the active runway
However, the pilot initially misread the instructions before correcting himself.
Audio recordings from air traffic control capture the moment the Southwest pilot made the decision to abort the landing.
The tower immediately acknowledged the move, instructing the plane to climb to 3,000 feet. Once stabilised, the Southwest pilot radioed the tower, asking, "How'd that happen?"
Southwest Airlines later confirmed the crew's quick action prevented a possible runway conflict, emphasising that passenger and employee safety is always their top priority.
The FAA stated that the private jet entered the runway without authorisation and confirmed the incident is under investigation.
A spokesperson from Flexjet said they are conducting a thorough internal investigation, reinforcing their commitment to safety.
