Alaska Airlines plane aborts takeoff to avoid colliding with Southwest Airlines plane in Nashville
An Alaska Airlines flight aborted takeoff Thursday to avoid potentially colliding with a Southwest Airlines plane that was cleared to cross in front of it in Nashville, Tennessee, officials said.
Alaska Airlines Flight 369 received clearance for takeoff from Nashville International Airport on Thursday morning, but the pilots on the Seattle-bound plane had to quickly hit the brakes "due to a potential traffic conflict on the runway," Alaska Airlines said in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Southwest Airlines Flight 2029 was cleared to cross the end of the runway.
According to flight tracker Flightradar24, the Alaska flight reached a speed of 104 knots, or about 119 mph, before it slowed down.
The Alaska crew reported the plane's tires blew during the aborted takeoff, according to the FAA. Alaska said the tires are designed to deflate from the heat buildup from the abrupt stop.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the Alaska plane was a Boeing 737 Max 9 and the Southwest plane was a Boeing 737-700.
No injuries were reported in the incident, Alaska said.
"We're deeply sorry for the concerning experience this created for our guests and crew members," Alaska said.
The Alaska plane taxied off the runway and close to the terminal, where the 176 passengers on board deplaned and returned to the terminal, the carrier said. They were expected to arrive in Seattle on Thursday night. Maintenance technicians were inspecting the plane in Nashville, Alaska said.
Southwest said it was in contact with the FAA and the NTSB, which are investigating the incident, and the airline said it would participate in the investigation.
"Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees," Southwest said in a statement.
