Incident between two aircraft investigated at Austin airport
A FedEx cargo plane attempting to land at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this Saturday morning had to change course after a second plane was cleared for takeoff on the same runway, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
“The pilot of the FedEx aircraft aborted the landing and initiated a climb,” the FAA explained in a statement.
The cargo plane, a Boeing 767, was several miles from the airport when it was cleared to land, according to the FAA. But just before it was expected to land, an air traffic controller gave the go-ahead for takeoff to a plane operated by Southwest Airlines.
→ Alaska Airlines launches three new routes from San Diego
In a tweet Saturday, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) described the incident as a “possible runway incursion and overflight of Southwest Airlines and FedEx aircraft.”
The Southwest flight was able to depart safely, according to the FAA.
The FAA and NTSB said they are investigating the incident.
Shannon Davis, a FedEx spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement that “FedEx Flight 1432 from Memphis to Austin landed safely after encountering an event just prior to landing at Austin Bergstrom International Airport this morning.”
In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Austin-Bergstrom International said it is “aware of the Federal Aviation Administration’s investigation into the crash landing of a flight. We will assist our FAA partners and their investigation as needed.”
A similar situation was averted at John F. Kennedy International Airport last month after an American Airlines plane crossed a runway as a Delta Airlines Boeing 737 was preparing to take off. The Delta plane stopped about 1,000 feet (0.3 kilometers) from where the American Airlines plane had crossed from an adjacent taxiway, according to the FAA statement.
Related Topics
Dominican Republic Clarifies It Is Still Evaluating Resumption of Commercial Flights to and from Venezuela
Copa Airlines Operates Over 1,290 Weekly Flights in June: Destinations and Frequencies
Venezuela Announces Resumption of Flights with Dominican Republic After Over 10 Months of Suspension
Avianca Requests Authorization to Fly to Belém (Brazil) from Bogotá
Plataforma Informativa de Aviación Comercial con 13 años de trayectoria.