The quick response of a Southwest Airlines flight crew Tuesday prevented what appeared to be a certain collision from happening with another plane on the runway on which it was to land.
Southwest Flight 2504 from Omaha, Nebraska, to Chicago’s Midway International Airport was forced to perform a go-around maneuver when a private jet taxied out onto the runway as the passenger jet was coming in for a landing.
Video of the incident showed the Southwest plane about to touch down when it suddenly popped back up into the air.
Ahead on the runway was a plane identified as Flexjet 560, according to CNN.
Southwest Airline pilots SAVED THE DAY! Great job going around at the last minute to avoid a collision from a runway incursion. pic.twitter.com/FjzoqIzH73
— Combat Learjet (@Combat_learjet) February 25, 2025
It was a Bombardier Challenger 350, which was headed to Knoxville, Tennessee, according to FlightRadar24.
Air traffic control instructed the private jet to hold short of Runway 31 Center, according to audio from LiveATC.net.
Here’s how it happened. ADS-B data + ATC audio of today’s runway incursion in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/Evvup7qZIu
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 25, 2025
The pilot incorrectly repeated back the instructions he had been given and indicated he was going to cross the Southwest jet’s runway, prompting the air traffic controller to tell him, “Flexjet 560, negative! Cross 31 Left, hold short Runway 31 Center.”
The Southwest pilot saw the situation unfolding and informed the tower he was going around.
The controller responded, “West 2504, uh, Roger that. Climb, maintain 3,000.”
The pilot could later be heard asking, “How did that happen?” but the tower did not respond as it continued to give instructions to other pilots.
INCIDENT: Southwest #WN2504 (Boeing 737-800 N8517F) in near miss 1448UTC/0848CST today @ Chicago/Midway as FlexJet #LXJ560 (Challenger 350) crosses Runway 31C.
ATC Audio (skip to 18min): https://t.co/e6OValtv39
MDW webcam & links: https://t.co/GzjpoMXwhL
(c) webcam host pic.twitter.com/IHqoie0rt3
— Airport Webcams (@AirportWebcams) February 25, 2025
A Southwest spokesperson told CNN via email, “The crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident,” adding, “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duff responded to the incident with a post on X, saying, “The @NTSB and @FAANews are investigating the Chicago Midway International Airport incident. I will provide more updates once I have them.”
The @NTSB and @FAANews are investigating the Chicago Midway International Airport incident. I will provide more updates once I have them.
However, it is imperative that pilots follow the instructions of air traffic controllers. If they do not, their licenses will be pulled.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 25, 2025
He added, “However, it is imperative that pilots follow the instructions of air traffic controllers. If they do not, their licenses will be pulled.”
The incident comes after a series of fatal plane accidents over the past month, including two in Arizona, as well as others in Toronto, Canada; outside Nome, Alaska; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and another in which an American Airlines passenger jet collided with a U.S. Army helicopter in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 29.
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