FAA Launches Probe After Near Mishap at Chicago Midway

A Boeing 737 was forced into a go-around to avoid a business jet that entered the runway.

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 05:54 PM ET

Verified

a Boeing 737 was forced into a go-around to avoid a business jet that entered the runway without permission at Chicago Midway International Airport (KMDW) on Tuesday morning. [Chicago Midway Airport StreamTime Live/Screenshot]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is investigating a runway incursion at Chicago Midway after a Flexjet business jet entered a runway without clearance.
This incident forced Southwest Airlines Flight 2504 (a Boeing 737) to perform a precautionary go-around while just inches from landing.
Video of the event showed the airliner successfully clearing the smaller jet by approximately 250 feet, and both companies are conducting internal investigations.

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The FAA has launched an investigation after a Boeing 737 was forced into a go-around to avoid a business jet that entered the runway without permission at Chicago Midway International Airport (KMDW) on Tuesday morning.

Video of the event, which took place just before 9 a.m. CST in VFR conditions, showed Southwest Airlines Flight 2504 aborting the landing as a Flexjet Bombardier Challenger entered from the left, crossing ahead of the bigger airliner.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.