Alaska Airlines pilots jet braked to avoid possible collision with Southwest plane
The Peninsula
Nashville, Tenn.: An Alaska Airlines jet taking off in Nashville braked to a rapid stop on the runway to avoid a possible collision Thursday with a So...
Nashville, Tenn.: An Alaska Airlines jet taking off in Nashville braked to a rapid stop on the runway to avoid a possible collision Thursday with a Southwest Airlines plane, and federal agencies are investigating the incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Alaska pilots aborted their takeoff because the Southwest plane was cleared to cross the end of the same runway.
An Alaska Airlines spokesperson said the pilots recognized "a potential traffic conflict on the runway” and "immediately applied the brakes to prevent the incident from escalating.”
No injuries were reported, but tires on the Boeing 737 Max went flat from the extreme heat buildup during the stop, according to the Seattle-based airline.
