Close Call on Austin Runway Leads to D.C. Hearing

A thick fog causing major visibility and communications issues almost led to a catastrophe in Austin, Texas last year.

The crisis was averted thanks to the quick thinking of the FedEx co-pilot, who had to fly over a Southwest jet carrying 128 passengers after both planes were cleared to use the same runway.

It was one of several close calls from 2023 that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to organize a “safety summit” for the industry and a meeting Thursday with the National Transportation Safety Board.

Investigators determined that flight crews were qualified and not fatigued during the close call incident, but they recommended several changes.

These recommendations include airport surface detection equipment for controllers to help track movement of aircraft and vehicles, formalized training for controllers on low-visibility weather conditions like fog, 25-hour cockpit recorders, and improved communications between pilots and controllers.

“If everything is normal, standard operating procedures work great. But, as we saw with the limited visibility, things can fall apart pretty quickly — aircraft taxi slower, and, to be more precise, in their position on the taxiway and on the runway. So good communication with the controller is imperative,” said Warren Abrams, investigator and former airline captain, at the hearing.

FAA officials have stated that U.S. aviation “has never been safer,” but other experts have expressed that the safety margin is decreasing and needs improvement through better staffing and technology.

According to the FAA’s numbers, there were 23 of the most critically categorized runway incursions in 2023. In 2022, there were 16. So far this year, there have been 7.

One close call occurred last month at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. — just weeks after another close call in the same airport.

In several weeks, the NTSB plans to release its report on the Austin incident.