Viral Video: Pilot averts major tragedy at Chicago

The increasing aviation disasters have led to fear among the passengers about safety of flights.

Amidst such a situation, an alert Southwest Airlines pilot averted a major tragedy by aborting the plane’s landing after witnessing a private jet on the runway at Chicago Midway International Airport yesterday morning.

The Southwest plane was arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, and the private jet, a Bombardier Challenger 350, was on way to Knoxville, Tennessee.

The Federal Aviation said that the close call arose after a private jet entered the runway without authorization.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating into the incident.

Soon after the incident, the video relating to the near-miss crash was widely shared on social media, where the Southwest Flight 2504 can be seen getting ready for the landing when suddenly a white private jet is seen approaching it on the runway.

Witnessing the jet, the Southwest Airlines pilot aborted the landing at the last minute and took off into the sky, avoiding a collision with the private plane, ready to take off from the same runway.

The Southwest Airlines informed that their flight which was just 50 feet from touching down on the runway had to be pulled up to avoid the collision. Then the plane safely landed at the Chicago airport after performing a go-around.

The near collision situation happened as the private jet’s pilot initially read back bad information from the air traffic controller.

Reportedly, the midway air traffic control corrected the information and asked the jet’s pilot to stay away from centre runway 31 at least nine times. However, the pilot ignored the instructions.

Recent aviation disasters include the midair collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet killing 67 people.