On the morning of February 25, 2025, a dramatic near-collision unfolded at Chicago’s Midway International Airport, where a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 (Reg. N8517F) narrowly avoided disaster with a private business jet crossing its path on the runway. The incident, captured on video and widely circulated online, has reignited concerns about aviation safety in the United States following a series of high-profile incidents in recent weeks. Southwest Flight WN2504, arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, was seconds from touching down on Runway 31C around 8:50 a.m. local time when the crew spotted a Flexjet Bombardier Challenger 350 taxiing across the runway without authorization. With remarkable composure and quick reflexes, the Southwest pilots executed a go-around maneuver, throttling up the engines and pulling the aircraft back into the sky just as it hovered mere feet above the tarmac. The plane soared over the smaller jet at an altitude of approximately 250 feet, averting what could have been a catastrophic collision.
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The Federal Aviation Administration swiftly launched an investigation into the incident, confirming that the Flexjet plane had entered the runway without clearance, a serious breach of protocol known as a runway incursion. Air traffic control audio reveals a tense sequence of events: the ground controller had instructed the Flexjet pilot to “hold short” of Runway 31C, but the pilot misstated the instructions, prompting a correction from the tower. Despite this, the private jet proceeded onto the active runway, directly into the path of the landing Southwest flight. After initiating the go-around and climbing to 3,000 feet, the Southwest pilot’s voice crackled over the radio, asking, “Tower, Southwest WN2504, how’d that happen?” The question underscored the disbelief and urgency of the moment, a sentiment echoed by aviation experts who praised the crew’s decisive action. Southwest Airlines issued a statement affirming that Flight WN2504 landed safely about 15 minutes later, emphasizing that the crew followed safety procedures and that no injuries or damage occurred. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees,” the airline noted.
Flexjet, the operator of the Challenger 350 bound for Knoxville, Tennessee, acknowledged the incident and said it was working to gather more information, pledging a thorough internal review. The close call, which saw the two aircraft come within roughly 2,050 feet vertically of each other, has drawn scrutiny to communication breakdowns and human error—persistent challenges in an aviation system under strain. Former National Transportation Safety Board member John Goglia described the event as a textbook example of the system working as intended, with the Southwest pilots serving as the final line of defense. However, it also highlighted vulnerabilities, as runway incursions, while rare, have spiked in recent years amid a post-pandemic travel boom and staffing shortages in air traffic control.
The incident follows a troubling string of aviation mishaps in 2025, including a deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., and a Delta flight crash-landing in Toronto. As investigators delve into the Midway near-miss, questions linger about how to bolster safeguards and prevent such heart-stopping moments from becoming tragedies. For now, the swift actions of the Southwest crew stand as a testament to the critical role of human skill in an increasingly complex airspace.