A Southwest Airways flight arriving from Oklahoma Metropolis on Thursday afternoon was reported as experiencing a “shut name” by News4SA, however a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson confirmed Friday, that the aircraft had carried out a routine maneuver.
“Air site visitors management instructed Southwest Airways Flight 576 to carry out a go-around at San Antonio Worldwide Airport as a result of one other plane was gradual to depart,” the FAA mentioned in a press release. “The required separation was maintained.”
Go-arounds are a traditional a part of industrial aviation and are outlined on each airport’s strategy charts. The FAA says they permit controllers and pilots to keep up spacing between plane by flying a delegated route across the airport when circumstances change, resembling in climate, site visitors or floor delays.
FAA security parameters require 3-5 miles of distance between planes as a normal. The San Antonio Worldwide Airport confirmed in a press release that the aircraft was nonetheless 4.1 miles away from the airport when the order was given.
Whereas passengers generally understand them as emergency evasions, the FAA says they’re frequent and part of customary pilot coaching to keep away from incidents referred to as runway incursions.
Runway incursions are the wrong presence of an plane, car or particular person on a runway. In 2024, there have been 1,474 runway incursions reported nationally, based on the FAA database, down from 1,777 in 2023. These totals embody incidents reported for all flights the FAA handles, totalling simply over 16 million flights a 12 months, roughly 44,000 a day together with cargo, constitution, navy and industrial flights.
Thursday’s go-around occurred on the thirtieth day of the federal authorities shutdown, throughout which air site visitors controllers and different FAA workers are working with out pay. The company acknowledged elevated staffing shortages throughout the system amid the continuing shutdown.
“When that occurs, the FAA slows site visitors into some airports to make sure protected operations,” an company spokesperson mentioned.
Airport officers say the Southwest airways plane landed safely at SAT with out problem on its second strategy.
