Boeing 767-32LF N297FE and Boeing 737-79P N7827A incident near Austin, Texas

Probable cause

the local controller’s incorrect assumption that the Southwest Airlines (SWA) airplane would depart from the runway before the Federal Express airplane arrived on the same runway, which resulted in a loss of separation between both airplanes. Contributing to the controller’s incorrect assumption were his expectation bias regarding the SWA airplane’s departure, his lack of situational awareness regarding the SWA airplane’s position when the flight crew requested takeoff clearance, and the air traffic control tower’s lack of training (before the incident) on low visibility operations. Contributing to the incident was the SWA flight crewmembers’ failure to account for the traffic that was on short final approach and to notify the controller that they would need additional time on the runway before the takeoff roll. Also contributing to the incident was the Federal Aviation Administration’s failure to require surface detection equipment at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and direct alerting for flight crews.

NTSB analysis

On February 4, 2023, about 0640 central standard time, Southwest Airlines (SWA) flight 708, a Boeing 737-700, N7827A, and Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) flight 1432, a Boeing 767-300, N297FE, were involved in a runway incursion at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas. The flight crew of the FedEx airplane, which was arriving on runway 18L, executed a missed approach as the SWA airplane was departing from the same runway. The 128 occupants aboard the SWA airplane and the 3 occupants aboard the FedEx airplane were not injured, and neither airplane sustained damage. SWA flight 708 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 from AUS to Cancún International Airport (CUN), Cancún, Mexico. FedEx flight 1432 was a domestic cargo flight operating under Part 121 from Memphis International Airport (MEM), Memphis, Tennessee, to AUS. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DCA23FA149 for the full record.