Last week, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 aircraft encountered foreign object debris on the runway at Fort Myers. The incident occurred during a flight from Atlanta to Fort Myers and resulted in damage to the main landing gear and fuselage. Despite this, the aircraft continued to the terminal and resumed service after approximately five and a half hours.
On January 17, 2025, Southwest flight WN3009 departed from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport at 11:01 and landed at Southwest Florida International Airport at 12:13. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-700 with registration N236WN. Aviation Herald reported that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK DEBRIS ON LANDING AND POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO MAIN LANDING GEAR AND FUSELAGE, FORT MYERS, FL."
The crew informed Air Traffic Control about vultures near the runway centerline. According to Flightradar24, the aircraft was scheduled for another flight shortly after landing but only departed for Baltimore Washington International Airport at 17:36.