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Photo of FedEx flight 1432 (N297FE) from NTSB docketThe NTSB has opened the public docket for its investigation into the runway incursion between a Fedex Boeing 767 and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) on Feb. 4 containing over 3,000 pages of factual materials. The NTSB in its preliminary report stated that an overflight led to a loss of separation but noted that the closest proximity between the two aircraft has not been confirmed. The docket contains documents about the investigation, including interviews that reveal how close the crew thought they were to catastrophe.RELATED STORY:Overflight leads to loss of separation in Austin runway incursion
At the start of 2023, aviation saw a rise in runway incursions at airports across the country. After the NOTAM system outage forced the first nationwide groundstop since 9/11, the state of the industry became a subject of public scrutiny over the lack of permanent leadership, outdated technology and rising safety concerns. On Jan. 13 a Boeing 777 and 737 had a close encounter on a runway at John F. Kennedy International (JFK), and on Feb. 3 a Boeing 787 Dreamliner clipped the wing of a parked plane while arriving at the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). One day later, the 737 and 767 had a close call at AUS.
Chair of the NTSB, Jennifer Homendy, told POLITICO in an interview that the findings were preliminary, but it is believed the 737 and 767 came within very close proximity of each other, a distance they believe is less than 100 feet. This proximity has not been confirmed by the NTSB. Aircraft typically maintain thousands of feet in distance, often miles. Instances where aircraft come within a few hundred or even 1,000 feet of each other are rare, but disconcerting. Some airports are equipped with technology to track the movement of aircraft and vehicles on the ground, known as Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X). This technology was developed to reduce Category A and B runway incursions with its sister system, Airport Surface Surveillance Capability, which has been introduced to dozens of airports across the country. AUS however, does not have this technology equipped.
"Air traffic controllers in Austin could see the FedEx plane coming in, but couldn't actually see where the Southwest plane was in relation to the FedEx plane because the Southwest plane was on the ground," Homendy explained to POLITICO. "Had they had that technology … they would have been able to see both the FedEx flight and the Southwest flight."
Releasing the docket gives the public access to thousands of documents, recordings, photos and reports accumulated during the ongoing investigation. Included are files on the two aircraft, interviews with staff and crew, meteorology reports and an aircraft performance report. The preliminary report was released in March, within a few weeks of the incursion, but a final report will take at least one year to complete. The NTSB will include a probable cause in a final report if once can be determined. While all passengers and crew between the two planes were uninjured and the two aircraft went on to takeoff and land without incident, close calls like this raise concern over the rising number of incidents around the nation.
On Feb. 4, the pilots of a Fedex flight in a Boeing 767 with three crew members established communications with the air traffic controller and reported that their flight was inbound, established on a CAT III instrument landing system approach to runway 18L. The pilots were provided with the runway visual range values and cleared to land, information which they acknowledged. Within minutes, the first officer of the Southwest flight on a 737, carrying 128 passengers and crew, checked in with the controller and indicated they were holding short of runway 18L and ready for takeoff. They were provided with RVR values and advised that the 767 was on a three-mile final, then issued a standard takeoff clearance from runway 18L. The 737 acknowledged the clearance and proceeded to taxi onto runway 18L and lineup with the centerline, coming to a complete stop and switching control of the aircraft from the captain to the FO, who then indicated he advanced the power, checked engines and released the brakes to begin the takeoff roll.
One of the FedEx flight crew members told the NTSB interviewer he recalled being irritated that the controller put another aircraft (the Southwest flight) ahead of his, but got his attention to ask another crew member to confirm they were cleared to land.
"I wanted to make sure everybody was on board, that we heard the right things, that they were taking the runway in 1-8 left and that -- that that's where, you know, they knew we were going," the FedEx crew member told the NTSB interviewer. "And the tower confirmed, said roger, clear to land 1-8 left, traffic departing. So I was kind of like -- I was perplexed, but I felt good, felt good at the time."
He told interviewers he heard the controller ask Southwest to confirm their roll-in and noticed the quick response, giving him cause for concern.
"The response was pretty quick and I think it said rolling now," the FedEx crew member said. "And the term ‘now,' that gave me a little bit more concern because I wanted to make sure, you know, obviously that we weren't in conflict, but I still didn't think -- my concern was that he was on the runway when we landed, I didn't think there was going to be a conflict, I assumed he was going to be well down the runway at that time."
The 767 was on about a 0.7-mile final and the 737 was on the roll. The FedEx captain noted that they were at an altitude of about 150 feet when the FO called go-around after seeing the 737. About 20 seconds later a member of the 767 crew broadcasted "Southwest abort" and then "FedEx is on the go." Based on the preliminary review of the ADS-B data, the 767 was at the departure end of the runway climbing out of 1,900 feet when instructed by the controller to turn left heading 080 and maintain 3,000 feet. At the same time, the 737 was about 1,000 feet lower than the 767 and began a right turn away from the runway heading.
The FedEx crew member told the interviewer that he and another member of the crew were talking about how they could see the plane on the runway when he called for a go-around. He said he had not seen anything at that moment but immediately executed a go-around. He began to pitch up and then asked the crewmember what he saw, which was a light and the silhouette of an airplane through the fog. At this point, he broadcasted "Southwest, abort," and "FedEx is on the go." He told the interviewer the Southwest plane was about 600-700 feet below the 767. A Southwest crewmember told interviewers that during the initial climb, a TCAS target appeared above and to the right, showing 600 feet.
"Did you hear the FedEx airplane?" the NTSB interviewer asked a member of the Southwest crew. "I mean, you're taking off, it's kind of a little bit louder in the cockpit, did you hear FedEx overhead by any chance?"
"No, there was -- I never had a visual or any oral indication that there was an aircraft anywhere near us," the 737 crew member said.
On the day of the incident, there was extremely low traffic volume and complexity at AUS and the weather was low instrument flight rules with wind calm, visibility ¼ mile in freezing fog, vertical visibility 200 feet above ground level and a temperature of about 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The meteorology factual report included in the public docket stated that there were calm to light southerly winds of five knots or less over the area with clear to obscured conditions in mist and fog, with temperatures in the low 30s to low 40s Fahrenheit. The tower reported being above the fog at about 300 feet agl with unlimited visibility on top but was unable to see the surface due to the fog.RELATED STORIES:FAA announces next series of runway safety meetingsSenate unanimously confirms FAA administrator after 19 month vacancyFAA awards another $121m, calls for runway safety meetings to reduce risk of close callsFAA gives $100m to 12 airports to reduce runway incursionsSafety alert issued after series of runway incursions, FAA urges airlines and pilots to take actionFAA panelists say complacency jeopardizes aviation safety
Recent runway incursions cause alarm, stats show they are on the rise
At the time of the AUS incursion, there was no permanent leader for the FAA and a series of incidents across the country were becoming headlines for weeks. The FAA called for a summit in March, issuing a safety alert shortly after, informing members of the aviation community about the need for continued vigilance and attentive care to mitigate safety risks. In response, the FAA has awarded hundreds of millions to airports across the country for risk mitigation infrastructure and technology like the ASDE-X system, runway lighting, taxiway reconfiguration and new runways.
While the start of 2023 saw a spike in incursions, the industry has made a substantial effort to reduce the number of incidents to zero. The FAA has a permanent leader now, for the first time in over one year, and the agency's reauthorization is being debated now, with a deadline at the end of the year. Safety is a priority industry-wide and investigations like this help organizations like the NTSB and FAA to understand where education, training, staffing or infrastructure may need work.
The NTSB is still inspecting the incident and will release a final report when it has concluded its investigation, within one to two years.