US: Crash Between FedEx Cargo Plane and Southwest Airlines' Aircraft Averted at Austin Airport; FAA, NTSB to Investigate (Watch Video)

Austin, February 5: A FedEx cargo airplane attempting to land at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Saturday had to reverse course after a second plane was cleared to depart from the same runway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

“The pilot of the FedEx airplane discontinued the landing and initiated a climb out,” the FAA said in a statement. The Boeing 767 cargo airplane was several miles from the airport when it was cleared to land, according to the FAA. But just before it was expected to land, an air traffic controller gave the go-ahead for an airplane operated by Southwest Airlines to take off. Nepal Plane Crash: 32 Killed as Yeti Airlines' Aircraft With 72 People Onboard, Including Five Indians, Crashes at Pokhara Airport (Watch Videos).

Crash Averted at Austin Airport:

In a tweet on Saturday, the National Transportation Safety Board described it as a “possible runway incursion and overflight involving airplanes from Southwest Airlines and FedEx.” The Southwest flight was able to depart safely, according to the FAA. The FAA and NTSB said they are investigating the incident. US Plane Crash Video: Small Aircraft Crashes Into Power Lines in Maryland, Leaves Pilot and Passenger Dangling in Air.

A similar close call was averted at John F. Kennedy International Airport last month after an American Airlines plane crossed a runway while a Delta Airlines' Boeing 737 plane was preparing for takeoff. The Delta plane stopped about 1,000 feet (about 0.3 kilometers) from where the American Airlines plane had crossed from an adjacent taxiway, according to the FAA statement.

Austin-Bergstrom is 5 miles (8 kilometers) southeast of Austin.

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