A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 was forced to take evasive action to avoid a medical helicopter during its final approach to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on 29 October. The incident, described as a 'loss of separation', occurred when the two aircraft came within just over half a mile of each other, breaching the minimum safety distance required by air traffic control.
Flight 1333, travelling from Baltimore to Cleveland, stopped its descent at around 1,800 feet and turned right to avoid the Eurocopter operated by Metro Aviation. The aircraft landed safely approximately 13 minutes later without further incident. Metro Aviation confirmed that the helicopter was en route to collect a patient but had no patients on board at the time.
The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched an investigation team to the scene. In a statement, Southwest Airlines said the pilots discontinued their initial approach due to the presence of another aircraft and were in contact with air traffic control throughout the event.
The near-miss echoes the tragic collision of American Airlines flight 5324 with an Army helicopter in January, which killed all 64 people on the plane and three in the helicopter. This incident occurs amid a federal government shutdown and ongoing understaffing issues in air traffic control towers across the country.
