Southwest near‑miss in Nashville

Two Southwest Airlines flights came within about 500 feet over Nashville on April 18 after a controller turned one jet into the other’s path. (abcnews.com) The Federal Aviation Administration said Southwest Flight 507 was executing a go-around at Nashville International Airport around 5:30 p.m. local time when air traffic control instructions put it in the path of another plane departing from a parallel runway. (abcnews.com) NewsChannel 5 in Nashville identified the other aircraft as Southwest Flight 1152, a Boeing 737-700 bound for Knoxville, while Flight 507 was a Boeing 737 Max 8 arriving from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (newschannel5.com) Air traffic recordings reviewed by NewsChannel 5 indicate the controller told Flight 507 to turn right after the go-around, then quickly changed the instructions as the conflict developed. Flight 1152 replied, “We’re already past it,” according to the station’s transcript. (newschannel5.com) Both crews said they responded to onboard Resolution Advisories from the Traffic Collision Avoidance System, or TCAS, which tells one aircraft to climb and the other to descend when planes get too close. (cbsnews.com) Southwest said Flight 507 made a “precautionary go-around” in gusty winds, then landed without incident, while Flight 1152 continued its departure and reached Knoxville. The airline said safety is its top priority and praised the crews’ response. (abcnews.com) Nashville’s runway layout helps explain how this happened. The Federal Aviation Administration’s airport briefing says BNA has three parallel runways, including 2L and 2R, which allow arrivals and departures to happen side by side. (faa.gov) The Federal Aviation Administration’s Aeronautical Information Manual defines a near midair collision as less than 500 feet of separation or any pilot report that a collision hazard existed. Flight-tracking data cited by ABC News put the Southwest jets at 500 feet vertically at their closest point. (faa.gov, abcnews.com) The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the Nashville event. That inquiry will focus on the controller instructions, the crews’ responses, and why the conflict was not resolved until cockpit alerts told both planes to maneuver. (abcnews.com, newschannel5.com)