Southwest plane and helicopter nearly collide in Cleveland: NTSB investigates incident
Aircraft approached less than the minimum safe distance during the approach of Southwest Airlines Flight 1333
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it will investigate an air incident that occurred Wednesday between a Southwest Airlines plane and a medical helicopter near Cleveland International Airport in Ohio.
According to the NTSB, both aircraft experienced a loss of separation, meaning they approached each other beyond the minimum safe distance. established, when Southwest Flight 1333—originating from Baltimore-Washington—was on its final approach.
Faced with the risk of collision, the Southwest pilot aborted the landing and performed a diversion maneuver before landing without incident shortly afterwards.
Neither the NTSB nor the airline detailed the number of passengers or crew members aboard the Boeing 737, while the helicopter was transporting a patient, according to flight records.
Southwest praises its crew's reaction
In a statement reported by Reuters, Southwest Airlines thanked the “crew's professionalism” during the emergency and assured that it is fully cooperating with the NTSB investigation.
“The flight landed safely and without incident. We are supporting the authorities in determining the causes of the incident,” the airline stated.
The specialized website Flightradar24 reported that air traffic control records and data from Radar showed that the Southwest plane abruptly deviated from its route to avoid the Eurocopter helicopter, which crossed its path just 0.56 miles (about 900 meters) away and at an altitude of 2,075 feet. According to the audio of the communications, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter to stay behind commercial traffic, but the pilot responded that he preferred to fly “over and in front,” to which the controller agreed. Criticism of the FAA over air safety reignites. The case follows a series of incidents that have put air safety in the United States under scrutiny. In January, a collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport left 67 dead.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been criticized for failing to act on previous reports of near misses. Since 2021 alone, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has documented more than 15,000 loss of air separation incidents near Washington, including 85 high-risk cases. In response, the FAA implemented new flight paths and safety zones for helicopters at Baltimore, Dulles, and Reagan airports in October, and even banned military flights near the Pentagon after another incident on May 1.