NTSB probe of Chicago Midway near miss reveals sun glare as possible contributing factor
Sun glare may have been a contributing factor in the recent near miss involving a Southwest Airlines jet at Chicago Midway International Airport, a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed.
The Southwest Airlines flight was forced to perform a go-around maneuver while coming in for a landing when a smaller Flexjet aircraft began taxiing across the plane's path on the runway on Feb. 25. The incident was captured in a dramatic video.
The NTSB's preliminary report said the flight crew of the Flexjet plane was instructed by ground control to "turn left onto runway 04L, cross runway 31L and then hold short of runway 31C," where the Southwest plane was arriving.
"According to post-incident statements, the flight crew of LXJ560 indicated that as they turned left onto runway 4L/22R, the sun was impeding visibility from the right side of the aircraft" -- the direction in which the Southwest jet was heading towards them, the report said.
It added that the Flexjet flight crew "did not recall seeing any hold short line/pavement markings or any other signs for the 31L intersection as they taxied onto runway 04L/22R.
"They further stated that runway 13R/31L appeared to have a very similar width to taxiways and that they had not recognized it as a runway," the NTSB report also said. "The captain stated that as he approached runway 13C/31C he had thought it was runway 13R/31L. As they approached the runway intersection the crew stated they both looked to the left and to the right and did not observe the SWA [Southwest] airplane on final."
"As LXJ560 approached the hold short line for runway 31C the ground controller instructed LXJ560 to hold short, but the transmission was not acknowledged," according to the NTSB.
Following the incident, the captain of the Flexjet aircraft parked the plane and "subsequently contacted the operator to notify them of the possible pilot deviation, assessed their wellbeing to continue the flight, and subsequently departed about 25 minutes after the runway incursion," the NTSB added,
Southwest Flight 2504 from Omaha, Nebraska, ultimately landed safely, having performed the precautionary maneuver to avoid "a possible conflict" with the Flexjet aircraft, Southwest said in a statement to Fox News at the time of the incident.
"The crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident," a Southwest spokesperson told Fox News in a statement. "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees."
"We are aware of the occurrence... in Chicago," added a Flexjet spokesperson in a statement. "Flexjet adheres to the highest safety standards and we are conducting a thorough investigation. Any action to rectify and ensure the highest safety standards will be taken."
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