On March 23, 2024, a Southwest Airlines flight SWA147 from Nashville to LaGuardia encountered severe weather, including wind shear and turbulence, and came within 67 feet of colliding with the iarport’s control tower.
The flight, carrying 147 passengers and six crew members, was forced to abandon its initial landing approach around 1 p.m. due to inclement weather that drastically affected its flight path.
During the flight’s first approach to runway 04, the pilots executed a go-around at 11:46 a.m., prompted by an excessively high speed attributed to a tailwind. Further complicating the situation, the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 with registration N8554X, deviated to the right and ended up not aligned with the runway.
Air traffic control at LaGuardia urgently instructed the pilots to climb to 2,000 feet and prepare for another landing attempt. This second attempt at 12:01 p.m. also resulted in a go-around, after the controller observed that the plane was significantly east of the final approach path, making a safe landing on the runway impossible.
Flight tracking data and reports from the scene indicate the Boeing 737 came perilously close to the LaGuardia air traffic control tower, with as little as 67 feet of clearance, raising concerns about the safety of those on board and on the ground.
VASAviation shows the air traffic control conversation juxtaposed with a visual of the Southwest plane and surrounding aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the incident, focusing on how the aircraft veered off course and whether wind shear—a sudden change in wind speed and/or direction—played a role in the erratic flight pattern.
Following the dangerous deviation, the flight crew diverted to Baltimore, where the plane landed safely approximately 40 minutes later. After a short time on the ground, the aircraft successfully returned to LaGuardia.
This incident, marked by turbulence and low visibility, led to multiple go-arounds at LaGuardia that day. Southwest Airlines has stated that it is thoroughly reviewing the event as part of its safety systems to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“He’s coming right at us!”
From this audio it sounds like at least 4 aircraft had to do deviations during this period of time. I would think possibly the ATC knew there was a problem and could have temporarily asked to close the airport due to weather. It would probably have been a relatively short close as it was probably a front blowing through.
I’m sure that the hate Boeing first crowd will make this about the airplane.
The pilot was a female.
“The pilot was a female”
So what? (Not even sure it’s true)
Almost every financial executive is a straight white man. They have tanked the world economy several times in just the last several years
Almost all Boeing executives are straight white men. Great job!
Almost everyone in Congress is a straight white man. Wowzer
I could go on and on and on.
It’s getting pretty tiring how people of color, gays and women are increasingly being scapegoated for everything, especially when it’s being done by straight white men
@JRMW … +1 . Especially as it was likely the WIND .
“The pilot was a female”
So what? (Not even sure it’s true)
It was true. And she sounded pretty young. You can draw whatever conclusions you wish from that.
Personally, I’d prefer a flight deck with 2 guys who look like Captain Sully paired with an Air Force veteran pilot who used to fly a B-52. But that’s just me.
What JRMW said is spot on. To take it one step further, a favorite of the anti DEI crowd is to take an isolated incident of a DEI candidate struggling in a training environment and conveniently ignore the struggles of a non DEI candidate. They’ll blow up a normal scenario that happens in training (a certain percentage of all candidates struggle more than some others) and convince themselves that it’s a DEI issue.
The reality is pilots from a diverse background enhance the collective experience of an airline.
Different perspectives from various backgrounds enhance a pilot group.
AngryFlier, the pilot handling the radio is generally not the pilot flying…..
The FAA usually investigates incidents that could have deeper implications and this was a given with this incident.
As with the FAA’s audit of UA, there is the potential that the FAA will see things that are systemic and which should be addressed.
At the same time, there needs to be clarity about what the pilots knew about the weather.
the FAA rarely closes airports but makes sure that pilots know what they are flying into and make good decisions about risk.
AndyS is a female. Personally, I’d prefer AndyS be a guy and look like Captain Sully. But that’s just me. Lol
No, pilots from a diverse background do not ‘enhance’ a pilot group. Finding the best and highest qualified pilots enhances a pilot group whatever their sex or color. Ignoring this basic truth will lead to disaster
If you wish to fly from DTW to premium destinations, please consider Delta.
@JohnW,
I agree that JRMW was spot on, but your comments about diversity are really out of touch. I’m sure that many other flyer like me really have no interest in whether the collective experience of the airline is enhanced or if the pilot’s group is “enhanced” by different perspectives. I want someone with experience to fly the plane and manage it when things start to go awry. I don’t care if a martian is flying the plane.
Audio showed that they want to divert to Pittsburgh? But actually they diverted to Baltimore?
Philly and Baltimore both make sense, but Pittsburgh doesn’t.
@David Szerlag
Slow clap……….
Diversity adds nothing to performance of any group. I get tired of hearing the “it makes us stronger”’. No it doesn’t.
I perfer the human controlling the flying metal tube im sitting in to be an airforce veteran. They have nice smooth landings. Veteran naval aviators still land like that are slamming on deck for a 3 wire on the USS Enterprise
At times when you flying commercial you are going to have a pilot that is doing his first commercial flight or one doing their first flight in that class of aircraft.
That is not Buzzing the tower. Terrible headline.
Let’s see worked in three control towers one in the Air Force two FAA never got buzzed VFR or IFR conditions Sex of pilots or controllers for that matter is irrelevant saw/had them screw up on me And if you don’t know what VFR and IFR mean look it up
No data whatsoever ever for the 67 feet notion.