Alaska
Southwest and Alaska Airlines planes nearly collide on Nashville runway, spurring FAA investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are probing a near-collision between two planes on an airport runway in Nashville Thursday morning – the latest close call involving commercial flights.
The crew of Alaska Airlines flight 369 “discontinued their takeoff” at Nashville International Airport around 9:15 a.m. CT when Southwest Airlines flight 2029 “was cleared to cross the end of the same runway,” according to the FAA. It is not clear how close the two aircraft came to colliding.
The Alaska Airlines flight carrying 176 passengers and six crew members braked so suddenly that the crew “reported blown tires during the braking,” the FAA said. No injuries were reported.
“The Alaska aircraft, on its way to Seattle, had received clearance for takeoff from Air Traffic Control,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement. “We’re grateful for the expertise of our pilots who immediately applied the brakes to prevent the incident from escalating.”
Southwest Airlines said in a statement it is in “contact with the FAA and NTSB and will participate in the investigation” and “nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”
The NTSB is investigating the incident between the Alaska Airlines plane, a Boeing 737 Max 9, and the Southwest Airlines aircraft, a Boeing 737-700, the agency said in a post on X.
This is the 14th NTSB runway incursion investigation involving commercial or for-hire flights since the start of 2023. The incident in Nashville also comes just two days after two Delta Air Lines planes collided as both were taxiing for takeoff from Atlanta’s busy Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Just two months ago, a commercial flight at New York’s Syracuse Hancock International Airport aborted a landing as another plane was taking off from the same runway it intended to use.
There has been heightened awareness of runway incursions involving commercial flights at major airports after a near collision involving two planes on a runway at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in January 2023. The close call triggered multiple investigations and pushed the FAA to convene a rare, daylong safety summit.
A June NTSB report later found that the incident at JFK was caused by pilots who were repeatedly distracted in the cockpit.
Investigators at the time called for the FAA to install more technology at airports that can warn air traffic controllers of a possible collision on a runway.
One of the country’s closest near-collisions in years happened a month later, in February 2023, between a FedEx cargo plane trying to land and a Southwest Airlines jet trying to take off on an airport runway in Austin, Texas. Investigators in a June hearing said that it happened because of an air traffic controller’s faulty assumptions amid heavy fog.
The NTSB issued seven recommendations based on the Austin incident, including installing technology at all commercial airports to detect movement of planes and vehicles on the ground. The NTSB also called on the FAA to require pilots to report their position frequently when taxiing in limited visibility conditions.
The CNN Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Alaska
In Depth Alaska: Changing Anchorage neighborhoods
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A new report from the Alaska Department of Labor reveals how Anchorage neighborhoods have changed in the past 40 years. The article is found in the September Alaska Economic Trends magazine and looks at changes in population, income, diversity and new homes being built.
Watch above hear the full conversation with author Sam Tappen or listen to our In Depth Alaska podcast.
Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.
Alaska
An Alaska Airlines plane aborts takeoff to avoid hitting a Southwest Airlines aircraft
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — An Alaska Airlines flight that had been cleared for takeoff in Nashville, Tennessee, was forced to abort Thursday to avoid colliding with a taxiing Southwest Airlines plane, authorities said.
No injuries were reported.
Alaska said in a statement that the pilots of Flight 369 to Seattle had to quickly apply the brakes due to “a potential traffic conflict on the runway.” The aircraft was carrying 176 passengers and six crew members.
“We’re grateful for the expertise of our pilots who immediately applied the brakes to prevent the incident from escalating,” the airline said. “We’re deeply sorry for the concerning experience this created for our guests and crew members. Thankfully, no injuries were reported by our guests or crew members.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said that Southwest Airlines Flight 2029 had been cleared to cross the runway in front of the Alaska flight. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the incident.
“Southwest Airlines is contact with the FAA and NTSB and will participate in the investigation. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees,” Southwest said in a statement.
The aborted takeoff resulted in the Alaska plane’s tires deflating due to heat buildup from the “rapid stop on the runway, as designed,” the airline said. The flight was rescheduled for Thursday evening in a separate plane.
The NTSB identified the aircraft involved as an an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 and a Southwest Airlines a Boeing 737-300.
Thursday’s incident comes just days after two Delta Air Lines planes collided on a taxiway at Atlanta’s airport, with the larger plane knocking over the tail of a smaller regional jet. A passenger on one of the planes called Tuesday’s collision “terrifying” but no injuries were reported.
Alaska
Alaska Air Group raises Q3 profit outlook
Alaska Air Group (ALK) has issued an upbeat profit outlook for the third quarter, driven by robust summer travel demand and lower than expected fuel costs.
Catalysts co-hosts Seana Smith and Madison Mills break down the details.
For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts.
This post was written by Angel Smith
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