Southwest.Photo: DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating after an air traffic controller double-booked a runway at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this weekend, setting up a potential collision.
To avert a crisis, the FedEx plane changed course, abandoning its landing on the runway, the FAA said.
“The pilot of the FedEx airplane discontinued the landing and initiated a climb out,” the FAA added. “The Southwest flight departed safely.”
FedEx.Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty
Flight tracking websiteFlightAwarereported that the FedEx plane had descended to an altitude of 150 feet at 6:40 a.m. before it was forced to go back up again quickly. The plane landed at the airport at 6:51 a.m., according to FlightAware.
In a statement to PEOPLE, FedEx said that the FedEx Express flight from Memphis to Austin “safely landed after encountering an event just before landing.”
On Twitter, the NTSB wrote that the organization is “investigating a surface eventat Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Saturday, a possible runway incursion and overflight involving airplanes from Southwest Airlines and FedEx.”
In a statement given to PEOPLE, Austin-Bergstrom International — which is less than eight miles away from downtown Austin — said it is “aware of the Federal Administration’s (FAA) investigation into the discontinued landing of a flight arriving at our airport. AUS will support the investigation as needed.”
Representatives for Southwest directed PEOPLE to the FAA’s statement when asked for comment.
source: people.com
