Ambulance drove across path of Southwest jet at Baltimore airport trends now
A Southwest Airlines flight had a 173-foot near-miss with a rescue truck that crossed the runway without authorization at Baltimore's airport, following a spate of alarming airport mishaps across the country.
The harrowing incident occurred on January 12 at Baltimore/Washington International Airport, but came to attention this week when DC News Now published audio of air controllers frantically telling the vehicle to stop.
According to an FAA report on the incident, an airport rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) vehicle was told by the tower to hold short at the runway, but read back incorrect instructions, which were not caught by the ground controllers.
'ARFF 439 you were supposed to hold short runway 15R!' one of the controllers is heard saying in the newly released air traffic control recordings.
The Southwest Boeing 737, which had been cleared for takeoff, proceeded down the runway at about 1.50pm and narrowly missed the rescue truck, which crossed the runway in front of the plane. There were no injuries in the near-miss.
A Southwest Airlines flight had a 173-foot near-miss with a rescue truck that crossed the runway without authorization at Baltimore's airport on January 12
A Southwest Airlines flight had a near-miss with a rescue truck that crossed the runway without authorization at Baltimore's airport (file photo)
The FAA analysis of the incident found that the 'closest estimated horizontal separation' between the plane and the truck was a mere 173 feet, less than half the length of a football field.
The FAA categorized the near-miss as a Category B incident, defined as an incident with 'significant potential for collision.'
A spokesman for BWI said the airport had fully cooperated and shared information with the FAA regarding the incident.
'A BWI Marshall Airport Fire and Rescue Department firefighter and medic vehicle crossed a runway without air traffic control authorization,' the statement said.
'Based on review of the incident, new procedures were immediately implemented to help ensure safety and to prevent a similar incident in the future. Safety and security remain the highest priorities for BWI Marshall Airport,' the spokesman added.
Southwest said in a statement that its crews follow air traffic control directions 'at all times' and did so in the Baltimore incident.
The incident in Baltimore came to light after the FAA last week held an emergency summit in McLean, Virginia to address a string of recent safety incidents and near-misses.
'There is no question that aviation is amazingly safe, but vigilance can never take the day off,' Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen said in a statement following the summit.
'We must ask ourselves difficult and sometimes uncomfortable questions, even when we are confident that the system is sound.'
