NTSB releases preliminary report on Chicago airport runway incursion

Neither aircraft sustained any damage, nor were there any injuries reported. The Southwest Airlines flight WN2504 landed safely after executing a go-around procedure, while Flexjet flight LXJ560 continued to its destination at McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS).

In post-incident statements, the crew of the business jet said they had completed all pre-flight procedures before calling ground control for taxi instructions. They reported that initial instructions "did not make sense to them," leading to requests for clarification from air traffic control (ATC).

"According to post-incident statements," said an NTSB representative, "the flight crew of LXJ560 indicated that as they turned left onto runway 4L/22R, the sun was impeding visibility from the right side of their aircraft. "

The Flexjet crew also noted challenges in recognizing pavement markings due to proximity issues between taxiway F and runway13R/31L. "The captain stated that as he approached runway13C/31C he thought it was runway13R/31L," added another statement from NTSB.

The Southwest Airlines crew reported being cleared for an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway31C. After turning off autopilot below500 ft (152.4 m) above ground level(AGL), both pilots observed what they assumed would be a holding position by Flexjet aircraft but had to execute a go-around when it became clear this wasn’t happening.

Stakeholders involved in this ongoing investigation include Boeing; Federal Aviation Administration(FAA); Flexjet; Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA); Transportation Safety Board(TSB)of Canada which provided an Accredited Representative whose Technical Advisor is Bombardier among others.