Near Miss at Chicago: Southwest Airlines Escape Runway Collision

A Southwest Airlines flight narrowly avoided a collision at Chicago Midway Airport when a business jet entered the runway unauthorized, prompting a landing abort. This incident is part of a troubling pattern of near-misses, prompting an FAA audit into runway incursion risks at major U.S. airports.

A serious near-miss incident occurred at Chicago Midway Airport on Tuesday as a Southwest Airlines jet had to abort its landing due to an unauthorized runway entry by a business jet, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The incident involved Southwest Flight 2504, a Boeing 737-800 from Omaha, which overflew a FlexJet Challenger on the runway and executed a go-around maneuver. The event was captured on video, showing the dramatic moment the Southwest jet pulled up just in time. The FAA is currently investigating the incident.

This event is part of a worrying trend of near-miss incidents in U.S. aviation, with the FAA initiating an audit into potential runway incursion risks across major airports. On Monday, another potential close call was reported in Houston involving Air Shuttle Flight 6034 and a SkyWest Airlines flight, further highlighting concerns over air traffic safety.