Like travelers need anything else to be nervous about, right? Just moments ago, a Southwest Airlines plane had to perform a “touch and go” at Chicago’s Midway Airport (MDW) after a private jet crossed its runway.
A “touch and go” is an aviation maneuver where a plane lands on a runway but immediately takes off again without coming to a complete stop, essentially touching down and then continuing to fly. This was all caught on video (embedded below), which Airways Magazine shared on X with the caption: “Southwest Flight WN2504 had a near-miss incident at Chicago Midway today when FlexJet Flight LXJ560 crossed Runway 31C.”
🔴 Southwest Flight WN2504 had a near-miss incident at Chicago Midway today when FlexJet Flight LXJ560 crossed Runway 31C.
by webcam host #southwestairlines #avgeek #boeing pic.twitter.com/Htqaj04Ift
— Airways Magazine (@airwaysmagazine) February 25, 2025
A “touch and go” isn’t that common (thankfully). I can only recall four in my life, and they were all scary because typically, the captain doesn’t explain what’s going on right away as they’re busy maneuvering the plane. The ones I remember were landing in Las Vegas late at night when a military plane was on the runway, one at London Heathrow (but I can’t recall why), and two involving animals on the runway—one in Fiji and the other in Kenya.
According to a friend who is a pilot, it’s a very safe maneuver, and they train for it every year. But with all the recent plane crashes and firings at the already understaffed FAA, it’s understandable to be concerned.
According to FlightRadar24, per CNN, “The Southwest plane was arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, and the private jet, a Bombardier Challenger 350, was headed to Knoxville, Tennessee.”
Air traffic control instructed the private jet to turn left onto “Runway 4L, cross Runway 31L, and hold short of Runway 31C,” according to audio from LiveATC.net. The pilot responded, “Alright, left on 2 – uh – 4L, cross the 22, or 13C, Flexjet 560.” The air traffic controller on the ground immediately replied, “Flexjet 560, negative! Cross 31L, hold short Runway 31C.” The audio also captured the moment when the pilot of the Southwest plane decided to perform a go-around to avoid the plane on the runway. Air traffic controllers responded, “-west 2504, uh, roger that. Climb, maintain 3,000.” Once the plane reached 3,000 feet, the pilot asked the tower, “Southwest 2504, uh, how’d that happen?”
I’m sure a full investigation is underway and thank goodness for clear skies, the Southwest Airlines pilot and ATC for identifying the potential catastrophe. Here’s my advice for coping with a fear of flying after the latest crashes.
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