Narrow Avoidance: Southwest Flight's Close Call at Chicago Midway

A Southwest Airlines flight narrowly avoided a collision at Chicago Midway Airport on February 25. The incident involved a business jet entering the runway unauthorized. The quick action of the Southwest first officer, who called for a go-around, prevented disaster, circling the plane for another approach.

A Southwest Airlines flight was forced to abort its landing at Chicago Midway Airport on February 25 to avoid a collision with a business jet, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported on Tuesday.

The incident involved a FlexJet Challenger business jet that entered the runway without authorization. This prompted the pilots of the Southwest Boeing 737-800 to execute a go-around, enabling the aircraft to circle and make another landing attempt. The Southwest first officer observed the unauthorized jet and called for immediate evasive action.

The NTSB highlighted how the swift response from the Southwest team prevented potential disaster, as the aircraft was perilously close, being less than 200 feet from the business jet.

(With inputs from agencies.)