US passenger plane nearly collides with private jet (VIDEO)

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A probe has been launched after a Southwest Airlines flight aborted a landing at the last second to avoid a collision with another aircraft in Chicago

A Southwest Airlines passenger plane narrowly avoided colliding with a private business jet at Chicago’s Midway International Airport on Tuesday, according to media reports. The US aviation authorities have announced an investigation into the near collision.

A video of the incident posted to social media shows the Southwest Airlines plane having nearly touched down for landing before suddenly pulling back up to avoid the private jet, which was taxiing across the runway. The aircraft subsequently landed safely. 

The Southwest Airlines flight, for which a Boeing 737-800 was being used, was arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, while the Bombardier Challenger, operated by the luxury private jet service Flexjet, was on its way to Knoxville, Tennessee.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board said that they are investigating the incident, which occurred around 8:50 a.m. local time. The FAA has indicated that the private jet had entered the runway without authorization, prompting the Southwest crew to initiate a “go-around” to avoid a collision.

A spokesperson for Flexjet told NBC that the company was aware that the incident involved one of its planes, emphasizing that it was “conducting a thorough investigation” of what had happened.

Southwest Airlines confirmed in a statement to the news outlet that the flight managed to land safely after the precautionary maneuver, saying that “the crew followed safety procedures.”

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