NTSB Investigates Incident Between Southwest Airlines Plane and Helicopter in Cleveland
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it is sending an investigative team following an incident on October 29th involving a Southwest Airlines aircraft and a medical helicopter near Cleveland International Airport, Ohio.
The event involved Southwest Flight 1333, arriving from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, which experienced a loss of separation with a Eurocopter helicopter during its final approach. This situation forced the pilot of the Boeing 737 to perform a go-around. The aircraft subsequently landed without further incident.
Details of Aerial Incident
According to the specialized website Flightradar24, both aircraft reached an altitude of 2,075 feet (632 meters) and were separated by just 0.56 miles (0.9 kilometers), a distance less than the established minimum safety standard. Audio from air traffic control communications reveals that the controller instructed the helicopter to position itself behind the air traffic in the area, but the pilot responded that he would prefer to overfly and get ahead if possible. The controller approved this maneuver.
The captain of the Southwest flight described the event as “extremely close” in a report to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), indicating that immediate action was necessary to avoid a collision, according to informed sources.
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Reactions and Background
Southwest Airlines issued a statement on Sunday acknowledging the professionalism of its crew in handling the situation and confirmed its cooperation with the NTSB investigation. The number of passengers and crew members aboard the aircraft has not been disclosed. Based on its identification at the time, the helicopter appears to have been transporting a patient.
This incident occurs amid growing concern about aviation safety in the United States. On January 29th, a collision between a regional jet from American Airlines and a U.S. Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington D.C., resulted in 67 fatalities. Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River. The subsequent investigation revealed that the Black Hawk helicopter was flying above the maximum allowed altitude.
Recent FAA Measures
Following the January accident, the FAA announced modifications to helicopter routes in the vicinity of Baltimore-Washington and Washington Dulles airports. In May, Army helicopters were prohibited from operating near the Pentagon after another incident that forced two civilian aircraft to abort their landings.
In March, the NTSB revealed that since 2021, there have been 15,200 reported loss of separation incidents near Reagan airport, including 85 events classified as high risk.
This new case in Cleveland reinforces the need to review coordination protocols between civil and medical aircraft, especially in high-density airspace. The ongoing investigation will seek to determine the causes and prevent similar future incidents.
With information from Reuters
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