Confusion due to sun glare may have contributed to Chicago Midway close call, NTSB report says
The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on Tuesday on the close call at Chicago Midway International Airport in February, when a Flexjet plane crossed the same runway where a Southwest Airlines flight was coming in to land.
The Southwest crew performed a go-around, passing about 250 feet over the Flexjet plane, according to FlightRadar24. No one was injured in the incident.
This close call is one in a string of aviation incidents in recent months, including the crash between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people in January.
According to the report on the Chicago close call, the crew members of the Flexjet plane seemed to be confused about the location of the runway and sun glare impeded their vision.
The crew told investigators that "the sun was impeding visibility from the right side of the aircraft."
The Flexjet crew members also said they hadn't seen hold short lines or pavement markings for the runway 31L, which they crossed before they entered 31C, where the Southwest flight was set to land. They told investigators that the runway 13R/31L "appeared to have a very similar width to taxiways and that they had not recognized it as a runway."
As the Flexjet plane approached the runway intersection, the crew members told NTSB investigators that they looked to the left and right and did not see the Southwest plane.
According to the report, as the Flexjet plane approached the hold short line for runway 31C, the air traffic controller told them to hold short. The Flexjet crew did not acknowledge the instructions from the controller and continued to cross the runway.
At the time of the incident, Flexjet said in a statement, "Flexjet adheres to the highest safety standards and we are conducting a thorough investigation. Any action to rectify and ensure the highest safety standards will be taken."
The NTSB will continue its investigation, and the final report will be out in one to two years. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating.
