We’ve seen a scary number of close calls lately in commercial aviation, so here’s the latest example of that.
In this post:
Alaska & Southwest jets have close call in Nashville
This incident happened on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at Nashville Airport (BNA), and involves two aircraft:
- One aircraft was a three-year-old Alaska Boeing 737 MAX 9 with the registration code N919AK, which was getting ready to depart for Seattle (SEA) as flight number AS369
- The other aircraft was a 19-year-old Southwest Boeing 737-700 with the registration code N225WN, which was getting ready to depart for Jacksonville (JAX) as flight number WN2029
Air traffic controllers had cleared the Alaska Boeing 737 MAX to depart from runway 13. The clearance was issued, and the pilots started their takeoff roll. However, after achieving a speed of over 100 knots, the pilots made the decision to abort the takeoff. This is because the Alaska pilots heard that the Southwest 737 had been given clearance to cross the same runway that the Alaska jet was taking off from.
So the pilots quickly slowed the plane down, but it didn’t come without consequences. When you abort takeoff at such a high speed it can cause issues, and in this case, the tires of the Alaska 737 MAX ended up being deflated. The aircraft managed to taxi onto the apron under its own power, but was then stuck.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now investigating this incident.
Let’s see what an investigation reveals
I’m curious to see what an NTSB investigation reveals here. It’s pretty clear that this was an air traffic control error, as two jets were cleared to use the same runway at the same time. Kudos to the Alaska pilots for being so observant, hearing the instructions being given to other planes, and aborting the takeoff so quickly.
Now, I haven’t actually been able to figure out how close of a call this was, in terms of whether the Southwest 737 was actually close to crossing the runway at the same time. It seems like the aborted takeoff was done as a precaution, given the clearance that had been given, though it’s also possible that the Southwest pilots would’ve seen the traffic on the runway, and may have waited anyway.
The US air traffic control system is obviously in need of some major overhaul. Air traffic controllers have some of the most stressful jobs out there to begin with, and on top of that, they’re overworked and underpaid.
Fortunately these close calls typically end okay, without catastrophe. However, eventually we’re not going to be so lucky…
Bottom line
There was a close call yesterday at Nashville Airport, as an Alaska 737 MAX and Southwest 737 were cleared to use the same runway at the same time. Fortunately the Alaska pilots were quick to act, and aborted the takeoff at a high speed, once they heard the clearance for the Southwest jet. This caused the tires of the Alaska jet to deflate, and the flight was subsequently canceled.
What do you make of this Alaska & Southwest incident in Nashville?
The ATC system has never fully recovered since Reagan fired the PATCO controllers in 1981. There was so much job intelligence lost and experience that wasn't passed down..
Eventually most carrerr airline pilots will have this happen. I have, more than once. That’s why you pay attention.
I’m hearing it was a DEI hire…
So it was a MAGAt?
Ben, is there an increase in these incidents recently? Are the numbers available?
Unfortunately, it almost always takes a major catastrophe and hundreds of death for there to be any kind of change.
Sometimes even that's not enough to bring about change (e.g. gun control).
The amount of mumbling during the call just stuns me. I cannot believe they are actually able to understand each other with words half-finished or unintelligible (to my untrained ears, of course). And the actual abort call was so nonchalant that it seems this happens every day, all day long, LOL.
My understanding is that what we're hearing is chatter picked up via hobbyist receivers located near the airports in question; the transmissions are likely a good bit clearer over the actual comms equipment.
Ah, OK, that makes sense now. Phew.
Your understanding is correct.
As I have repeatedly noted with other incidents, there are always 3 parties in these incidents - two pilot crews and one or more in ATC. In every case, 2 of the 3 parties realized the problem and averted disaster. In this case, it was the AS pilot crew and eventually ATC.
It is noteworthy how busy BNA is using intersecting runways.
Good point about using intersecting runways Tim. Perhaps Alaska wanted 13 because it’s longer than the other runways or maybe Southwest was requesting a different runway because that’s what Southwest likes to do. Regardless of the reason, with the current challenges the ATC system is facing, using intersecting runways should be kept to a minimum.
BNA uses the 2/20 runways exclusively the vast majority of the time. 13/31 is usually only used when it's needed for crosswind or for its additional length. The remnants of a hurricane were affecting the area at the time of this incident, so 13 may have been used due to crosswind.
It’s rare they use 13 at BNA. Was surprised they were using it given the winds weren’t that strong for a crosswind, and they were using the 20s for arrivals.
@Ben can you please write a post explaining the different runway codes.
I have seen that many airports have the same numbers and I guess they mean something....
The numbers are the runway orientation. Runway 13 means that it's pointing towards 130° (with 0°/360° being North, 90° being East, 180° being South and 270° being West). When used in the opposite direction, it would be runway 31 because it's then pointing towards 310°. That's why, when crossing the runway, it's often referred to as "Runway 13/31" - because in that case both directions are affected.
Typically in case of several runways pointing...
The numbers are the runway orientation. Runway 13 means that it's pointing towards 130° (with 0°/360° being North, 90° being East, 180° being South and 270° being West). When used in the opposite direction, it would be runway 31 because it's then pointing towards 310°. That's why, when crossing the runway, it's often referred to as "Runway 13/31" - because in that case both directions are affected.
Typically in case of several runways pointing to the same direction, you also have R (right), L (left) and C (center) appended to the number.
Ben doesn’t need to explain it. The are plenty of good explanations online. A fun one is CGP Grey’s YouTube video on the subject (The Simple Secret of Runway Digits).
Thank you! I didn't know that system.
Runway numbers are compass points rounded to the nearest 10 degrees with the last digit removed eg. a runway orientated east-west (ie. 90-270) degrees would be runway 9-27. An aircraft departing east on this runway would be using runway 9 while one departing west would be using runway 27
Air traffic controllers are paid very well. As much as seasoned airline pilots....over $130,000 a year.
Surprised they have a Runway 13. Although yesterday it's appears very lucky indeed.
Any airport that has a runway aligned roughly 130 degrees magnetic heading has a runway 13. It's not like hotel floor numbers or airline row numbers where it can be arbitrary. Runway numbers indicate the heading of the runway.
Tik tok, Tik tok, Tik tok...
Has te clearance to cross the runway been given by the same ATC controller as the TO clearance? If not then nobody learnt any lesson from the incidents in the past.