Aviation staff said they were investigating the Tuesday incident along with federal officials.
SAN ANTONIO — Officials with Southwest Airlines said a Dallas-bound flight was forced to halt takeoff protocols at San Antonio International Airport on Tuesday “due to a potential conflict with another aircraft.”
Flight 4996 was in its “takeoff roll” – referring to the departure phase when an airplane gains speed before lifting into the air – which had to be “safely discontinued,” airline officials said. The FAA said in a statement that the pilot of another aircraft “made a wrong turn onto the Southwest flight’s runway,” at which point takeoff clearance was canceled.
Airports Director Jesus Saenz told KENS 5 there was about 2,000 feet separating the two aircraft. He also said the airport was looking into the matter with the help of the FAA to ensure accountability after the incident.
Flight 4996 eventually departed San Antonio International at 1:30 p.m., according to FlightAware—an hour and five minutes later than its original departure time.
This is a developing story.