Southwest pilots avert runway disaster at Midway Airport
Only the pilots' composure and swift reaction saved the passengers and crew of a Southwest Airlines plane from disaster. As the plane was approaching landing, a private jet intruded onto the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident at Chicago Midway Airport.
On social media, a recording appeared showing how Southwest flight 2504 was approaching landing at Midway Airport, then climbed back into the air to avoid a collision with the jet that unexpectedly found itself on the runway.
The FAA reported that the jet entered the runway without permission, forcing the Southwest crew to perform a "go-around" manoeuvre to avoid a collision.
The plane landed safely
Southwest Airlines confirmed in a statement that the flight concluded with a safe landing at Midway Airport after performing a preventive manoeuvre. "The crew followed safety procedures, and the flight concluded without incidents," Southwest stated. "Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers and employees," the statement emphasised.
Recordings from the control tower indicate that the aircraft were instructed to hold at the intersection while the Southwest flight attempted to land. A spokesman for Flexjet, a luxury private jet service, confirmed that the company is aware of the incident involving one of its aircraft.
- Flexjet adheres to the highest safety standards and is conducting a thorough investigation. We will take every action to rectify the situation and ensure the highest safety standards are met, the spokesman said.
A series of aviation incidents
This is the latest in a series of aviation incidents that are causing concern among travellers. On Saturday evening, a Delta plane en route to Australia had to return to Los Angeles due to smoke detected in the galley. A similar incident occurred on Monday when a Delta plane returned to Atlanta shortly after takeoff due to a report of "possible smoke" on board. Earlier this month, a Delta plane overturned during landing at Toronto Airport, injuring 21 people.
Last month, there were two fatal aviation disasters. In a mid-air collision of a military helicopter with an American Airlines plane near Reagan National Airport in Washington, 67 people died. A few days later, a medical jet crashed near a shopping centre in Philadelphia. All six passengers and a civilian in a car were killed. An additional 24 people were injured.
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