FAA Opens Probe Into Close Call at Chicago Midway

A Southwest Airlines jet was forced to abort a landing at Chicago Midway airport on Tuesday in a serious near-miss incident after a business jet entered the runway without authorization, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Southwest Flight 2504, a Boeing 737-800 arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, flew overtop a FlexJet Challenger on the runway and performed a go-around. The FAA is investigating the incident, which occurred around 8:50 a.m. CT.

A dramatic video posted on social media showed the Southwest jet nearing touch down and then pulling up and above the FlexJet that had crossed Runway 31C.

Southwest said the crew "followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident."

Over the last two years, a series of troubling near-miss incidents have raised concerns about U.S. aviation safety and the strain on understaffed air-traffic-control operations.

In October, the FAA said it was opening an audit into runway incursion risks at the 45 busiest U.S. airports.

On Monday, the FAA said it was investigating another incident involving a possible close call in Houston on Sunday, when the crew of Air Shuttle Flight 6034 performed a go-around due to an unstable approach and conflicted with a departing SkyWest Airlines flight.

Air traffic control issued corrective instructions to both flight crews, but the Air Shuttle crew climbed above their assigned altitude.