Two Southwest Airlines flights came within approximately 500 feet of each other near Nashville International Airport on Saturday evening, prompting an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The close call occurred when Southwest Flight 507 from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, aborted its landing due to gusty winds and was directed into the path of Southwest Flight 1152, which was taking off from a parallel runway. According to multiple reports, both planes' Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) alerted pilots to take evasive action.
Key Takeaways
Two Southwest Airlines flights came within approximately 500 feet of each other near Nashville International Airport after an aborted landing due to gusty winds. Both planes' Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems alerted pilots, who took evasive action. The FAA is investigating the incident.
- Two Southwest jets nearly collided over Nashville on Saturday evening
- Gusty winds forced a go-around that put one plane in another's path
- TCAS alerts prompted evasive maneuvers to avoid collision
- Both flights landed safely at their destinations
- FAA and Southwest Airlines are investigating the incident
The FAA acknowledged that air traffic control's instructions put Flight 507 'in the path of another airplane.' Preliminary flight data suggests that Flight 1152, bound for Knoxville, Tennessee, flew directly over Flight 507 with around 500 feet of altitude separating them. Both flights landed safely at their intended destinations.
Southwest Airlines emphasized the professionalism of its pilots and crews in responding to the event. 'Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees,' the airline stated. The FAA noted that the information is preliminary and subject to change as the investigation continues. Aviation safety analyst Robert Sumwalt told CBS News that TCAS is 'one of the last lines of defense to keep airplanes from coming together.'
The incident comes amid continued scrutiny of near-miss incidents at U.S. airports, particularly those involving aircraft operating on parallel runways. The FAA has not yet confirmed how close the two aircraft came to one another or whether any separation standards were breached. However, location data from FlightRadar24 suggests the planes got as close as 500 feet apart.
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