Southwest Airlines plane swerves to dodge helicopter in near-miss incident
Close call as plane and helicopter nearly collide mid-air at airport
- A Southwest Airlines plane swerved to avoid a helicopter in a near-miss at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on October 29.
- The incident was classified as a "loss of separation" event, indicating the two aircraft breached the minimum safety distance required by air traffic control.
- The Boeing 737-700 and Eurocopter were reportedly separated by just over half a mile at their closest proximity, leading the Southwest plane to stop its descent and turn right.
- The medical helicopter, operated by Metro Aviation, was en route to a nearby hospital to collect a patient but had no patients onboard at the time.
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the incident, which occurred amid concerns over the federal government shutdown and air traffic control understaffing.