Federal aviation authorities are investigating a Southwest Airlines plane that took off from a closed runway at an airport in Maine.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board both told FOX Business they are investigating the June 25 accident at Portland International Jetport.
The FAA also said that an airport vehicle left the runway just before the plane began its takeoff roll at about 5:45 a.m. local time.
The NTSB told FOX Business that a preliminary report on the accident is expected to be released within about 30 days.
The report will include information gathered during the initial stages of the investigation.
But the NTSB said a probable cause or contributing factors won’t be released until its final report is released, about 12 to 24 months from now.
Southwest Airlines told FOX Business it is working with both authorities “to assess the situation” surrounding the early morning Southwest departure.
“After takeoff, the aircraft flew safely to its destination,” Southwest said in a statement.
The airline referred further comment to the NTSB.
This comes at a time when the aviation industry is receiving increased attention following a series of runway incursions and near-misses at airports across the country.
