Southwest flight aborts landing as private jet crosses runway at Chicago Midway

A near-miss between a commercial plane and a business jet was averted at Chicago Midway International Airport when the Southwest Airlines crew decided to abort landing as the jet crossed onto the runway.

The crew of Southwest Airlines Flight 2504 initiated a go-around after a business jet entered the runway without authorization, the FAA said in a statement. The incident occurred around 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Southwest Airlines plane, a Boeing 737 with registration N8517F, was arriving from Omaha when business jet LXJ560, a Bombardier Challenger 350 with registration N560FX, incurred onto the runway while scheduled to depart for Knoxville, according to Flightradar24. It’s unclear how many people were on board both aircraft.

Air traffic control audio indicates that the LXJ560 crew may have misinterpreted or dismissed instructions from the control tower. The Southwest crew immediately notified air traffic control of their decision to climb back up during landing.

“Southwest 2504, going around,” the pilot announced as the business jet crossed into its path. “Tower, Southwest 2504, how’d that happen?” the pilot asked shortly after ascending.

“The crew followed safety procedures, and the flight landed without incident,” a Southwest spokesperson told media outlets following the event. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said that the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident. He emphasized the importance of compliance with air traffic control, stating, “It is imperative that pilots follow the instructions of air traffic controllers. If they do not, their licenses will be pulled.”