The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded that a combination of lacking safety technology and human error were behind a near-miss incident involving aircraft from Southwest Airlines and FedEx at an Austin, Texas airport last year. On February 4, 2023, the two jets narrowly avoided a collision by approximately 150 feet after both were cleared to occupy the same runway, prompting a go-around maneuver by the FedEx crew.
This incident is one among several that has pushed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to convene an industry-wide safety summit. The NTSB report underscores several systemic issues, including an air traffic controller’s erroneous assumption regarding aircraft departure timings. This misjudgment nearly resulted in a catastrophic event, highlighting the importance of enhancing situational awareness and reinforcing training for low-visibility conditions.
Contributing to the tense scenario was the controller’s expectation bias, a lack of situational awareness, and insufficient training on operations under poor visibility. Compounding these factors was the Southwest flight crew’s omission in notifying the control tower of their need for extra runway time for engine preparations before departure.
The NTSB’s findings emphasize the human elements in aviation safety and the critical need for technological support systems. One missed warning, one incorrect response, even one missed opportunity to strengthen safety can lead to tragedy and destroy public confidence in our aviation system, which is precisely why we must learn from near misses such as these,” stated NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. Her statement reflects a stern reminder of the stakes involved in aviation safety and the continuous effort required to mitigate risks.
Responding to these revelations, the FAA has committed to installing surface detection systems at selected U.S. airports, including Austin, with a projected completion by the end of 2025. This step represents a move towards integrating more robust technological frameworks to support air traffic controllers and flight crews, aiming to enhance overall safety in the aviation sector.
The final report on this incident from the NTSB is anticipated to be released shortly, which will likely provide further insights and potentially more recommendations for preventing such occurrences in the future.