NTSB releases first report on close call between private jet, Southwest plane at Midway
The report seems to suggest that the private jet's crew was confused about the location of the runways at the airport.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday released its first report on last month's close call between a private jet and a Southwest Airlines plane at Midway Airport.
The preliminary report comes exactly three weeks after that near-collision, and it seems to suggest the crew of the private business jet involved in the incident was confused about the location of the runways at the airport.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
That Feb. 25 near-miss involved a Southwest Airlines plane inbound from Omaha, Nebraska with more than 140 occupants on board.
It was about to land when the crew performed a go-around to avoid a potential collision with that general aviation aircraft operated by Flexjet, which was crossing the runway in front of the Southwest plane.
SEE ALSO | Southwest flight aborts landing to avoid potential crash with jet at Midway: VIDEO
The NTSB's report says the Flexjet crew, prior to the incident, seemed confused about how to get to their assigned runway, and at one point seemed to misidentify a runway for a taxiway.
The crew of the Flexjet private plane told investigators the initial taxi instructions from Midway ground control "did not make sense to them" and at one point, the crew "read back the instructions incorrectly" before repeating the correct route to their runway.
"It sounds like the crew was just off on which runway that they were supposed to hold short on. They were supposed to be holding short of 3-1-center," said Lewis University Aviation Dept. Chair Ryan Phillips.
That crew also said glare from the sun impeded their vision, and they did not see critical pavement markings or that incoming Southwest plane, despite looking to the left and right.
That Flexjet plane ultimately crossed the runway against instructions from air traffic control.
"I think we had a series of problems that led to the near-miss, and usually when accidents occur, it's not one thing. It's a confluence of things. We saw that here, nearly a worst-case scenario," said DePaul University Prof. Joe Schwieterman. "It does send a chill that we had a set of problems with that plane that led to this really awful near-miss."
The NTSB will continue its investigation, and a final report is expected in one to two years.
READ MORE | 'This is normal?': 2 close-calls at Chicago's O'Hare airport in 1 day
The report comes as the Federal Aviation Administration says it is continuing its analysis of airports that have high volumes of mixed traffic in the aftermath of a deadly collision between a regional American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military over Washington, D.C.
That includes an assessment of the eight cities, including Chicago, where we have charted helicopter routes.
