Watch Southwest Airlines Plane Narrowly Avoid Collision With Business Jet at Chicago Airport

Video captured the dramatic moments when a Southwest Airlines flight from Omaha, Nebraska had to perform a go-around to avoid a runway collision with a business jet at Chicago Midway International Airport on Tuesday.

According to the airline's statement, Southwest Flight 2504's crew "performed a precautionary go-around to avoid a possible conflict with another aircraft that entered the runway."

"The crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident."

The near miss comes in the wake of a series of aviation disasters, including a crash-landing in Toronto earlier this month and a fatal collision involving an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, DC in January.

The small jet's owner Flexjet confirmed that the company is aware of the incident. "Flexjet adheres to the highest safety standards and we are conducting a thorough investigation,” a spokesperson said in a statement. "Any action to rectify and ensure the highest safety standards will be taken."

Former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member and former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigator Jeff Guzzetti called the incident a "very serious runway incursion," according to the Associated Press.

He also added some perspective, however, saying that the "sky is not falling because last year was the lowest recorded number of serious runway incursions in a decade.”

According to FAA data, there were only seven of these incidents in 2024, compared to 22 in 2023.

---

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore