Alaska Airlines Plane Forced to Abort Takeoff to Avoid Collision

There was yet another close call between airplanes, as an Alaska Airlines plane had to avoid a Southwest Airlines jet by aborting its takeoff. The incident happened Thursday at Nashville International Airport.

There were no injuries, but the sudden decrease in takeoff speed blew out two tires on the Alaska Airlines jets.

It is the second such incident this week.

The near-mishap was "due to a potential traffic conflict on the runway," Alaska Airlines said in a statement.

It once again brings air traffic controllers into the spotlight and questions the safety of runways and taxiways at American airports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did say that Southwest Airlines Flight 2029 was cleared to cross the end of the runway.

"We're deeply sorry for the concerning experience this created for our guests and crew members," Alaska Airlines said.

Passengers on the Alaska Airlines plane were expected to be put on new equipment and taken to their destination in Seattle on Thursday night. The near-miss is being investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

"Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees," Southwest said in a statement.

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