FAA Investigates Close-Call Situation at Austin Airport

Two commercial jets—one on takeoff, one on landing—were operating to the same runway.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, February 06, 2023 at 02:52 PM ET

Verified

The FAA and NTSB are looking into the incident as a possible runway incursion. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A potential runway incursion occurred at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport where a FedEx cargo plane cleared to land was on the same runway as a Southwest Airlines flight cleared for departure.
The FedEx pilot initiated a go-around, preventing a collision, and both aircraft subsequently completed their operations safely.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the incident, which took place in darkness on February 4, as a possible runway incursion, marking it as the second such event in a month.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are looking into an incident at a Texas airport that potentially put two airliners on the approach end of one runway at the same time. The event took place on Saturday, February 4, at approximately 6:40 a.m. in relative darkness, as sunrise was not until 7:20 a.m.

According to the FAA, FedEx Express Flight 1432, a Boeing 767, was cleared to land on Runway 18 Left at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (KAUS). The clearance was received and acknowledged when the 767 was several miles away from the airport.