Quick-Thinking US Pilot Prevents Disaster At Chicago Airport With Swift Manoeuvre — Watch

Airport footage captures the Southwest aircraft nearly touching down on the runway before abruptly pulling up to fly over the private jet that had entered its path.

Southwest Flight takes off after seeing the taxiing private jet.

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A major accident was averted in the United States when an airline pilot made a last-minute decision to do a go-around manoeuvre and delay the landing at Chicago Midway International Airport when a private jet taxied across its path on the runway, on Tuesday morning.

Southwest Flight 2504 landed safely at the Chicago airport after the flight crew had to perform a go-around to prevent a potential incident, according to Southwest. According to the CNN, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, which took place at around 8:50 am local time.

The FAA said in a preliminary statement that the "business jet entered the runway without authorisation".

As per the report, the Southwest plane was arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, and the private jet, a Bombardier Challenger 350, was headed to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Southwest Airline pilots SAVED THE DAY! Great job going around at the last minute to avoid a collision from a runway incursion. pic.twitter.com/FjzoqIzH73

— Combat Learjet (@Combat_learjet) February 25, 2025

Airport footage captures the Southwest aircraft nearly touching down on the runway before abruptly pulling up to fly over the smaller Flexjet aircraft that had entered its path.

"The crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident," a Southwest spokesperson told Fox News in a statement. "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees."

Air traffic control audio from the tower captures the moment the Southwest pilot decided to execute a go-around to avoid the private jet on the runway.

According to CNN, once the plane reached 3,000 feet in the air, the pilot asked the tower, “Southwest 2504, uh, how’d that happen?”

The planes came as close as approximately 2,050 feet before the Southwest plane initiated the go-around, according to FlightRadar24.

Meanwhile, Flexjet, the company operating the Bombardier Challenger 350, is “aware of the occurrence” in Chicago and “was working to gather more information on this situation,” a spokesperson said in a statement, as per CNN.