This screenshot from the StreamTime Live YouTube channel captures a near-miss incident involving a Southwest 737 aircraft and a small business jet at Chicago’s Midway Airport. The Southwest flight was arriving from Omaha when the private jet mistakenly crossed in front of the runway.

StreamTime Live/Screenshot by NPR

hide caption

toggle caption

StreamTime Live/Screenshot by NPR

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating a near-miss incident that took place on Monday involving a Southwest Airlines 737 and a small business jet at Midway Airport in Chicago.

On Monday, Southwest flight 2504 was landing at Midway after arriving from Omaha, Nebraska. The weather was clear and just moments away from touchdown, when the business jet crossed the runway in front of the descending 737.

The crew of the 737 responded swiftly, increasing thrust to execute a go-around maneuver, flying just above the Canadair Challenger 350, the private jet heading to Knoxville, Tennessee. One of the Southwest pilots questioned the air traffic control tower, asking, “What just happened?”

In a follow-up statement, Southwest noted, “Our crew adhered to safety protocols, successfully landing the flight at Midway without any issues. The safety of our customers and employees remains our top priority.”

Footage captured by StreamTime Live documented the near-miss, timestamped at 8:48 a.m. CT.

A separate air traffic controller was communicating with the small business jet, operating as Flexjet 560. Their conversation was recorded on LiveATC.net. The controller instructed the pilot to “hold short” of runway 31-Center, meaning they should not cross it. In response, the pilot inaccurately confirmed their clearance to taxi onto the active runway.

The air traffic controller then corrected the private jet pilot, stating, “Negative! Cross runway 31-Left. Hold short of runway 31-Center.” The pilot acknowledged this instruction correctly, or so it seemed.

Just moments later, the private jet crossed the runway at the same time Southwest’s 737 was approaching for landing. The ground controller was heard urgently instructing, “Flexjet 560, hold short!” and then added, “Flexjet 560, maintain your position! Your directive was to hold short of runway 31-Center.”

Numerous notable aviation incidents have occurred recently, including a Delta Air Lines commuter jet that crashed and overturned while attempting to land in Toronto on February 17 (with no casualties). This was preceded by a mid-air collision in January involving an American Airlines commuter jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, resulting in the tragic loss of 67 lives. Additionally, a plane crash in Alaska claimed the lives of all 10 individuals on board, while a medical flight accident in Philadelphia resulted in seven fatalities.

All of these incidents, including Monday’s near-collision, are currently under thorough investigation. They come at a time of heightened scrutiny concerning the air transportation system, including a growing shortage of air traffic controllers) due to staffing reductions initiated during the Trump administration affecting the FAA and other transportation agencies.

Newly appointed U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated last week that his team is prepared to tackle these challenges, asserting, “Americans deserve a safe and modern air travel system, and President Trump has directed me to establish a world-class air traffic control system that sets a global standard.”