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 International Airport (KMDW).
A Flexjet business jet entered the runway without permission, forcing a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 to perform a go-around during its landing approach.
Video shows the Southwest flight initiating the go-around very close to the pavement, narrowly clearing the smaller jet by approximately 250 feet.
Both Flexjet and Southwest Airlines confirmed the incident, stating their crews followed safety procedures, and the airliner landed without further incident.

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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.