Southwest Airlines planes take evasive action to avoid collision in Nashville
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- Two Southwest Airlines planes narrowly avoided a midair collision in Nashville after an air traffic controller directed one pilot to turn into the path of the other, prompting evasive maneuvers guided by onboard collision avoidance systems.
- The incident occurred when one pilot aborted landing due to gusty winds and was instructed to turn into the path of another Southwest plane taking off from a parallel runway, bringing the planes within an estimated 500 feet of each other.
- Both flight crews responded promptly to collision alerts, with one plane climbing and the other descending to maintain separation, preventing a collision.
- The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the event, acknowledging that air traffic control instructions contributed to the near miss but has not yet disclosed the exact proximity of the planes.
- Southwest Airlines praised the professionalism of its pilots and emphasized its commitment to safety, noting that all protocols were followed during the incident.
