Video footage captures the intense moment when a Southwest Airlines jet narrowly escaped a disastrous collision with a private plane while landing at Chicago Midway Airport.
Earlier on February 25, at approximately 8:50 AM local time, Southwest Flight 2504 was making its approach to land at Chicago Midway International Airport after a journey from Omaha, Nebraska.
At the same time, a private jet—a Bombardier Challenger 350—was on the runway preparing for takeoff, heading toward Knoxville, Tennessee, according to FlightRadar24.
Warning: The footage depicts a close call between two aircraft, which some viewers may find distressing.
Despite the provided instructions, the aircraft ended up in the direct path of the incoming Southwest Airlines flight.
According to CNN, Southwest reported that the flight crew had to perform a go-around maneuver to avoid a collision.
Fortunately, after executing the go-around, the Southwest jet successfully landed at the airport without further complications.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into this near-miss. This incident adds to a series of aviation-related events the FAA has been reviewing in recent weeks.
This event followed another incident in January, where an American Airlines aircraft struck a Black Hawk military helicopter while attempting to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport.
Amid these reports, aviation experts have weighed in on whether recent incidents suggest an increase in plane crashes.
“Our perception of an increasing trend is often amplified by media coverage.”
He further explained that statistically, air travel remains “the safest form of travel” and emphasized that “the spate of recent crashes isn’t necessarily indicative of an actual increase in frequency of plane crashes.”
