Near-miss in Nashville: Southwest planes narrowly avoid mid-air collision
Near-miss in Nashville: Southwest planes narrowly avoid mid-air collision
Two Southwest Airlines jets came within 500 feet of each other near Nashville, prompting cockpit alarms and an FAA investigation.
Two Southwest Airlines Boeing 737s came within a perilous distance of a collision near Nashville International Airport as cockpit collision alarms sounded. Flight 507, inbound from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was attempting to land in gusty conditions when it aborted the approach and performed a go-around. Flight 1152 was taxiing into position on a parallel runway for departure to Knoxville, Tennessee. At their closest, the two aircraft were about 500 feet apart in altitude, according to tracking data.
The FAA said the crews responded to onboard alerts and to air traffic control instructions that placed them on a direct crossing path. Southwest Airlines said it is cooperating with the investigation and praised the pilots and crews for prioritizing safety, noting safety of customers and employees remains the top priority.
Passengers on the flights remained largely unaware of the near-miss; one traveler described sipping coffee minutes after landing, underscoring how routine air travel felt despite the scare. The incident is expected to trigger a review of procedures for converging approaches and departures in challenging weather, as investigators assess weather conditions and controller actions involved in the near-miss.
