Southwest Jet Avoids Collision With Business Jet by Just 200 Feet at Chicago Midway
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 came within 200 feet of a business jet before executing an emergency maneuver to avoid a collision at Chicago Midway Airport on February 25, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released on Tuesday March 18.
Incident Details: Near Miss at Chicago Midway
The incident occurred when a FlexJet Challenger business jet entered the runway without authorization, forcing the Southwest pilot to abort the landing and initiate a go-around. The first officer noticed the business jet failing to stop and immediately called for the maneuver, which the captain executed successfully, preventing a potential disaster.
FlexJet Crew’s Miscommunication and Visibility Issues
The FlexJet crew reported that air traffic control instructions were unclear and, after requesting clarification, they were assigned a new taxi route. However, the initial readback of the instructions was incorrect, requiring the ground controller to reissue them and confirm a correct readback.
The FlexJet crew also cited poor visibility due to sunlight on the right side of the aircraft, stating they did not see a hold short line or pavement markings and were unaware of the Southwest jet on final approach. The controller’s instruction to hold short was not acknowledged, according to the NTSB.
FAA Responds With New Safety Measures
Following this near miss, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a safety-risk analysis of close encounters between pilots flying under visual flight rules (VFR) and those flying under air traffic control (IFR). The agency has also engaged with general aviation and business aviation groups to enhance safety measures.
Over the past two years, an increasing number of near-miss incidents in U.S. airspace has raised concerns about aviation safety, particularly with the ongoing strain on understaffed air traffic control operations. Several of these incidents have involved close calls between commercial and small aircraft.
The Southwest Airlines-Chicago Midway near-miss is the latest in a series of incidents prompting industry-wide scrutiny and calls for improved safety protocols to prevent future close encounters.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com