A Closed Runway
According to the FAA, a runway at a Maine airport was temporarily closed, as workers were surveying the tarmac for safety to ensure everything was as it should be.
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The runway was supposed to be open soon, but flights were diverted elsewhere during the time of the runway’s closure. It was not supposed to be used.
Southwest’s Inaccurate Takeoff
However, Southwest Flight 4805, for some reason, decided to take off from this closed runway, even though pilots were told not to.
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This Boeing jet, which was a full flight, used this runway to depart from the Maine airport at 5:43 a.m., just two minutes before the runway was going to be opened back up again.
Air Traffic Control’s Warnings
Audio recordings from this situation reveal air traffic controllers trying to warn the pilots of this Southwest flight repeatedly. At one point, controllers said, “Just so you know, there is a vehicle on the runway, and it is closed.”
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However, it doesn’t appear that the pilots responded. This left the controller saying, “I tried warning him.”
A Near Miss
This jet’s sudden and unexpected departure on a runway that was closed almost caused a potentially dangerous accident, as an airport crew was on the tarmac in their vehicle.
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The plane’s takeoff resulted in the maintenance workers on that tarmac scrambling to get off the runway.
A Lack of Communication
After this situation happened, the ground vehicle’s driver got in touch with the control tower to find out why they had allowed the plane to take off on the runway, as it was still closed.
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The air traffic controllers responded that they hadn’t communicated with the plane’s pilots at all. This suggests that their warnings to the pilots didn’t result in any response.
Southwest’s Response
Southwest Airlines has already released a statement responding to this latest open investigation.
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The statement says, “Southwest Airlines is engaged with the NTSB and FAA to understand the circumstances of the early morning departure of Flight 4805 from Portland International Jetport on Tuesday, June 25. After departure, the aircraft continued safely to its destination.”
A Safe Flight
Luckily, this plane had a safe flight to Baltimore and no other issues were recorded. However, this latest situation comes after a string of issues on Southwest Airlines flights.
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These various issues have caused the public and the FAA to express their concerns over the safety of Southwest flights.
A Low Plane Over an Oklahoma Neighborhood
Most recently, the FAA has opened up an investigation into Southwest after one of its jets flew only a few hundred feet above an Oklahoma neighborhood outside of Oklahoma City.
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This plane flew at a low altitude of about 500 feet, causing many residents of the neighborhood to wake up in the middle of the night, thinking the jet was going to crash into their homes.
A “Dutch Roll” Incident
Another Southwest incident occurred last month when one of its planes performed an uncommon and very dangerous “Dutch roll” maneuver. This maneuver occurred at 34,000 feet during a flight from Phoenix to Oakland.
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Dutch roll incidents are very rare and can result in serious safety risks. After the plane landed, it was discovered the jet had “substantial” damage. Thus, another FAA investigation was opened.
Southwest Planes Dropping in Altitude
The Oklahoma situation isn’t the only time a Southwest plane has suddenly dropped incredibly low in altitude. In April, a Southwest jet dropped within 400 feet of the ocean off the coast of Hawaii.
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While Southwest has explained this occurred because of severe weather, the FAA has still opened up an investigation into the incident.
An Increase in Plane Incidents?
Since the beginning of 2024, airlines have been questioned by both the FAA and the mass public, as incident after incident has caused many to worry that planes have become unsafe.
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Though the public is aware of these potentially dangerous situations, analysts stress that air travel remains incredibly safe across the board.