NTSB releases preliminary report on Long Beach Airport runway incursion

Two minutes later, Southwest Airlines flight WN1671 from Oakland International Airport contacted LC1 stating their intention to land on runway 30. At 14:47:20, they received clearance to land with a warning about an uninvolved aircraft in the pattern. The crew acknowledged this advisory correctly.

At 14:48:27, another advisory was issued concerning a Cessna landing on adjacent runway 26L. Shortly after this advisory, the DA40 reported holding short of runway 26R while positioned on runway 30. At approximately this time, the Southwest Airlines aircraft completed its landing roll.

A preliminary analysis by NTSB indicated that both aircraft were separated by approximately 857 feet when the Southwest Airlines plane was moving at a speed of 17 knots and the DA40 remained stationary short of runway 26R. Both planes taxied without further incident following this close encounter.

This incident is part of ongoing safety evaluations conducted by aviation authorities. On October 15, FAA announced an audit targeting runway incursion risks at major US airports as part of its commitment to safety oversight. "The FAA is committed to identifying and mitigating risk at every level," stated an FAA representative.

The audit aims to complete in early 2025 and will include risk profiles for each airport along with identifying potential gaps in current procedures or equipment.