Thankfully Southwest ‘crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident’
A shocking new video has surfaced showing the moment a Southwest Airlines jet narrowly avoided colliding with a private plane on the runway at Chicago Midway Airport.
On the morning of February 25, around 8:50 AM local time, Southwest Flight 2504, arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, was making its final approach to land when it encountered a Bombardier Challenger 350 private jet, which was preparing for takeoff to Knoxville, Tennessee, according to FlightRadar24.
Warning: The footage shows a tense near-collision that may be distressing for some viewers. Audio from LiveATC.net reveals air traffic control giving instructions to the private jet, but unfortunately, the jet ended up directly in the path of the incoming Southwest flight. In response, the flight crew had to perform an emergency go-around to avoid the potential crash, CNN reports.
Thankfully, the crew successfully executed the maneuver, and the Southwest flight landed safely.
A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines assured CNN, saying, “The crew followed safety procedures, and the flight landed without incident. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating the incident, along with several other aviation events that have taken place in recent weeks. UNILAD has reached out to both Southwest Airlines and the Chicago Department of Aviation for additional comments.
On February 17, Delta Air Lines Flight 4819 crashed and flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Miraculously, all 80 passengers and crew onboard were safely evacuated, with no fatalities reported.
This incident follows a serious collision in January, where an American Airlines plane collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter while the aircraft was attempting to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport. These recent high-profile events have raised concerns about the apparent rise in aviation accidents.
Experts have been weighing in on the issue, suggesting various factors that may contribute to what appears to be an increase in plane crashes. While aviation safety has improved significantly over the years, industry professionals point to the growing complexity of air traffic systems, the rising number of flights, and even human error as potential contributors to this concerning trend. The recent accidents are under investigation, and authorities are working to determine the causes of these incidents to prevent further occurrences in the future.
Aviation expert Jason Matzus, an attorney at Matzus Law, offered his perspective on the recent spate of crashes, explaining to the US Sun that the perceived rise in aviation accidents may be attributed to “random clustering.” He elaborated that such clustering occurs when multiple crashes happen in a short period, skewing our perception and making it seem as though plane crashes are becoming more frequent. In reality, these incidents are coincidental and not necessarily indicative of a broader safety issue within the industry.
Matzus also noted that media coverage amplifies this perception, often making it seem as though the frequency of crashes is on the rise. He reassured the public, pointing out that statistically, air travel remains “the safest form of travel.” According to Matzus, the recent string of crashes does not reflect an actual increase in aviation incidents but rather a coincidental grouping of unfortunate events.
