On October 29, 2025, there was a close call between a Southwest Airlines Jet and a medical helicopter near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have sent a team to investigate the near miss.
An “Extremely Close” Incident
This incident comes months after the horrific mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter on January 29, which killed 67 people over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Since then, alarm bells have been ringing at the news of close calls between commercial aeroplanes and smaller aircraft.
Friday raised hairs on the backs of necks as Southwest Airlines Flight 1333, a Boeing 737, was making its final approach from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Airport, and a Eurocopter medical transport helicopter experienced a loss of separation. According to reports, the pair came within 0.56 miles of one another, an “extremely close” encounter as the Southwest captain described. Flight 1333 was forced to deviate from its course and land safely shortly after.
Under FAA terminal airspace rules, aircraft on approach must either maintain at least 3 nautical miles of horizontal separation or 1,000 feet of vertical separation. The two aircraft were at a similar altitude and came within less than 1 nautical mile, constituting a loss-of-separation call for alarm.
In a statement, the airline said it:
Appreciates the professionalism of our crew in responding to the situation. We are engaged with the National Transportation Safety Board and will support the investigation.
Déjà Vu in the Skies
One pilot and aviation expert commented:
Just like in DC there are three players in this fiasco, a helicopter, a tower controller and an arriving airliner descending to the runway. Both aircraft are speaking with the same tower controller at Hopkins, who was attempting to separate the helicopter from the airliner. The audio exchange and transcript of that audio reveal almost word for word with the DC fiasco, a set up for failure that almost resulted in another midair collision.
The serious risks that these encounters pose, especially in congested airspaces, were demonstrated in Washington, DC. The proximity between commercial jets on their final approach and slower-moving helicopters at low altitudes only needs a slight miscommunication or an unstable approach to cause severe casualties.
As the N.T.S.B. investigates, the aviation community remains alert to the risks posed by mixed aircraft operations in crowded airspaces. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
