ANOTHER NEAR MISS

Southwest Airlines Planes Make Swift Last-Minute Move to Avoid Crash

The FAA will be investigating the latest aircraft incident.

The pilots of two Southwest Airlines planes were forced to take quick action after they almost collided in a narrow miss over the weekend. The incident occurred on Saturday near Nashville International Airport, when gusty winds near the airport forced pilots of flight 507 from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to abort their landing. They began to execute a go-around, and were directed by air traffic control to turn right. However, that would have put them in the direct path of another 737 that had been cleared for takeoff from a parallel runway. The Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems on each plane alerted the pilots to take evasive maneuvers and both flights landed safely at their destinations. “Southwest appreciates the professionalism of its Pilots and Flight Crews in responding to the event,” the airline’s spokesperson Lynn Lunsford said in a statement. The FAA said in a statement that the air traffic control’s instructions had put flight 507 “in the path of another airplane” and were investigating the incident. They did not reveal how close the planes got during the incident that took place around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The FAA will also investigate whether the near-miss violated a new rule it passed following the fatal collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter in 2025. The rule meant air traffic controllers had to use radar to keep aircraft separated, and not rely on eyesight. The Daily Beast has contacted the FAA and Southwest Airlines for comment.