The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported this Saturday that it is investigating the circumstances in which a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 and a Cessna Citation (an aircraft used on business trips) almost collided. in San Diego. This is the latest in a series of worrisome aviation incidents in the United States.
The FAA says its preliminary review shows that an air traffic controller on Friday cleared the Cessna Citation to land on the same runway at San Diego International Airport where Southwest Airlines Flight 2493 had been instructed to taxi. The automated surface surveillance system alerted to the situation, and the controller ordered the Cessna to abort the landing.
A person familiar with the investigation said initial checks show the Cessna passed about 100 feet above the Southwest plane. The FAA has sent a team to the facilities to carry out the investigation.
The Southwest airline has assured this Saturday that it is participating in the review of the incident by the FAA. “Our aircraft departed without incident and the flight operated normally, with a safe landing in San Jose as scheduled,” the airline said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating six such incidents that have occurred since January.
