WASHINGTON — A recent investigation by federal authorities has revealed that a Southwest Airlines aircraft and a smaller private plane found themselves on the same runway in California after both had been cleared for landing by an air traffic controller. This incident occurred on October 19 in Long Beach, raising concerns about air traffic safety.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the two aircraft came alarmingly close to each other, with a separation of only 900 feet (approximately 275 meters), before the private plane managed to clear the runway. The NTSB released a preliminary report which outlined details of the event and confirmed that discussions were held with the air traffic controller, a supervisor, and other personnel connected to the incident. However, the board refrained from sharing specific outcomes from these interviews.

This situation is part of a growing trend of near-miss incidents involving aircraft, attributed to mistakes made by either air traffic controllers or pilots. The NTSB report indicated that the controller initially instructed the crew of a Diamond DA40, a four-seat aircraft, to land on the main runway and to stop before reaching an intersecting runway. Just two minutes later, the controller permitted the pilots of a Southwest Boeing 737 to initiate their landing on the same main runway. Shortly thereafter, the crew of the Diamond aircraft informed the controller that they had complied with the landing instructions and had stopped on the runway.

As the Southwest aircraft completed its landing rollout, its pilots notified the controller of the presence of the other plane on the main runway. Fortunately, both aircraft were able to taxi to their designated parking areas without encountering any additional problems. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and it underscores the critical need for vigilance in air traffic management to ensure safety in aviation operations.