FAA Investigates Close Call Between Southwest Airlines Flights

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking into a reported near-miss involving two Southwest Airlines flights that occurred during a go-around at Nashville International Airport.

This incident took place around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Southwest Airlines Flight 507 was approaching the airport when the pilots executed a go-around, which is a standard procedure where the landing is aborted for another attempt.

During this go-around, air traffic control instructed the pilots to redirect the flight into the flight path of another aircraft, identified as Southwest Airlines Flight 1152, which was taking off from a parallel runway.

Fortunately, both flight crews were able to respond to in-flight traffic alerts, effectively avoiding a potential collision in mid-air.

The FAA noted that the details shared were preliminary and could change as the investigation unfolds.

Southwest indicated that the maneuver was made for safety reasons and in response to adverse weather conditions.

The airline stated, “The pilots of Southwest Flight 507 performed a precautionary go-around while approaching Nashville International Airport in strong winds. During the go-around, the pilot followed both air traffic control instructions and in-flight traffic alerts to avoid a collision with Southwest Flight 1152, which was departing from a different runway.”

Eventually, Flight 507 landed safely in Nashville, while Flight 1152 continued its journey to Knoxville, Tennessee. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported in either flight.

Southwest Airlines is cooperating with federal authorities in their investigation and remains focused on safety as its primary concern.

The FAA didn’t specify how close the planes came to each other or if any safety standards were breached. According to data from FlightRadar24, the aircraft were as near as 500 feet apart, which might qualify as a near-air collision under official definitions.

This investigation occurs as scrutiny increases regarding near-miss incidents at U.S. airports, particularly involving aircraft on parallel runways, underscoring the importance of the collaboration between pilots and air traffic control to ensure safe separations.