Retired Minnesota pilot assures flying is still safe despite recent incidents
A retired Minnesota commercial pilot assures travelers it is still safe to fly despite recent incidents involving planes.
On Tuesday, a Southwest passenger plane came in for a landing at Chicago Midway Airport and was just seconds away from hitting a business jet that pulled into its path.
"When you're dealing with humans, human error can occur," Gary Berg said.
Berg lives in Minnesota and used to fly planes. He now trains those aiming to. He says Tuesday's scenario is rare and exactly what pilots train for.
"What happened today is what should've happened. Somebody missed a clearance crossing the runway and they told Southwest to go around and he did," Berg said.
The incident prompted America's new Transportation Secretary to say he'll pull pilots' licenses if they don't follow instructions from the tower.
"Look both ways before you cross a street — or a runway," Berg said.
At a runway nearby, the Federal Aviation Administration says Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport had its own close call in 2023. This was one of 22 similar events nationwide that year. But in 2024, that nationwide number dropped nearly 68% to seven, with none happening at Minnesota's largest airport.
"The system worked today. The controller watched it, they just told Southwest to go around," Berg said. "Flying is safe. People are human and they make mistakes."
But tensions are high — especially after this flight from MSP crash landed in Toronto, where all 80 people on board survived.
"I was already very anxious going on the plane," a passenger on the Southwest flight said.
In a statement about the incident, Southwest Airlines said, "The crew followed safety procedures, and the flight landed without incident. The crew's quick thinking and professionalism exemplify our unwavering focus on safety, and Southwest is grateful for their swift and decisive actions."
The business jet was a FlexJet Bombardier Challenger bound for Knoxville, Tennessee.
"We are aware of the occurrence today in Chicago. Flexjet adheres to the highest safety standards and we are conducting a thorough investigation," a Flexjet spokesperson told CBS News. "Any action to rectify and ensure the highest safety standards will be taken."
