Concerns Raised Over Southwest Flight Incident at LaGuardia Airport
Authorities are investigating a recent incident involving a Southwest flight that veered off course during its approach to land at New York's LaGuardia Airport. The flight, identified as Southwest Flight 147, had to abort its initial landing due to poor weather conditions.
During the second landing attempt, air traffic control urgently instructed the Boeing 737 to "go around" and climb to 2,000 feet as it appeared to have drifted off course. The plane, which was at an altitude of 300 feet, began to climb as directed by the controller.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking into the matter to determine if the aircraft may have come too close to the 233-foot tall air traffic control tower during the incident.
According to the flight tracker map from Flightradar24, the plane was seen flying over the terminal building instead of the runway. The approximate track showed the plane passing over the parking garage next to the air traffic control tower.
Shortly after, the controller informed the pilots that the plane was not aligned with the runway and was off course. It was described as being east of the final approach path, indicating that a safe landing was unlikely.
The airline disclosed that there were 147 passengers and six crew members on the flight originating from Nashville. Southwest Airlines mentioned that they are investigating the incident as part of their safety protocols.
Reportedly, the plane faced turbulence and poor visibility while approaching LaGuardia Airport. As a precaution, Southwest Flight 147 decided to divert briefly to Baltimore/Washington International Airport before resuming its journey and landing safely in New York.
