{"id":90629,"date":"2025-04-16T22:28:46","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T16:58:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=90629"},"modified":"2025-04-16T22:28:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T16:58:50","slug":"southwest-737-and-cessna-citation-involved-in-close-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/16\/southwest-737-and-cessna-citation-involved-in-close-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Southwest 737 and Cessna Citation Involved in Close Call Over California"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>LOS ANGELES-<\/strong> A potentially serious incident occurred in Southern California airspace on March 17, 2025, when a <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/southwest-airlines\/\">Southwest Airlines (WN)<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/b737\/\">Boeing 737<\/a> and a private <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/cessna-citations-xs\/\">Cessna Citation<\/a> jet came dangerously close to each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The<strong> near-collision <\/strong>triggered onboard safety systems and raised questions about air traffic control procedures and pilot readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Air-India-New-Headquarter-3-1024x536.png\" alt=\"Southwest 737 and Cessna Citation Involved in Close Call Over California\" class=\"wp-image-41652\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Air-India-New-Headquarter-3-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Air-India-New-Headquarter-3-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Air-India-New-Headquarter-3-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Air-India-New-Headquarter-3-750x393.png 750w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Air-India-New-Headquarter-3-1140x597.png 1140w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Air-India-New-Headquarter-3.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Wikimedia Commons; Compounded by Aviation A2Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-southwest-cessna-close-call\">Southwest Cessna Close Call<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Two aircraft were at the centre of this close call:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>N610GD<\/strong>: A Cessna Citation Encore flying from <strong>Borger, Texas (BGD), to Van Nuys, California (VNY)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Southwest flight WN2961<\/strong>: A <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/boeing-737-700\/\">Boeing 737-700<\/a> travelling from <strong>Sacramento (SMF) to Burbank (BUR), California<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The proximity of the <strong>Van Nuys (VNY) and Burbank airports<\/strong> <strong>(BUR)<\/strong>, just 8 miles apart, creates challenging airspace where flight paths frequently intersect. Poor weather conditions with deteriorating visibility complicated the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Cessna Citation pilot failed to maintain visual contact with the runway during approach to <strong>Van Nuys Airport (VNY). <\/strong>Unable to land, the pilot initiated a go-around procedure but did not communicate this decision to Air Traffic Control (ATC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, the Southwest 737 was descending over Van Nuys Airport (VNY) on its approach to Burbank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the Cessna unexpectedly climbed, it entered the path of the descending 737. The aircraft lost the required separation distance, triggering <strong>Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alerts<\/strong> in both cockpits. Audio recordings and visualisation of the incident were captured and shared by <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7jxF-aLqjxU\">VASAviation<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"NEAR MID-AIR COLLISION After Pilot Error near Phoenix International\" width=\"729\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6uuSpZYNfOY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-communication-breakdown\">Communication Breakdown<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The air traffic control audio reveals several concerning issues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Cessna pilot requested vectors despite being told twice that the runway was directly ahead at &#8220;12 o&#8217;clock&#8221; on the same heading<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The pilot began climbing without clearly announcing a missed approach decision<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Citation did not follow the published missed approach procedure for Van Nuys Airport (VNY)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The air traffic controller appeared to freeze during the critical moment when clear instructions were most needed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, the Southwest (WN) pilots responded appropriately to the situation and followed proper procedures throughout the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-138.png\" alt=\"Southwest 737 and Cessna Citation Involved in Close Call Over California\" class=\"wp-image-55750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-138.png 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-138-300x199.png 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-138-768x510.png 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-138-750x498.png 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Aero Icarus | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-complex-air-traffic-environment\">Complex Air Traffic Environment<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The incident occurred in congested airspace where multiple aircraft were operating:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/delta-airlines\/\">Delta Air Lines (DL)<\/a> aircraft were positioned at various distances from the airport<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Traffic advisories were being issued for several planes in the area<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Poor visibility to the north affected the Cessna&#8217;s approach<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Incoming storms added pressure to the traffic management situation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Flight-Schedule-for-ORD-and-COS-source-scaled-e1713725445659-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"Southwest Airlines Busiest Routes\" class=\"wp-image-49711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Flight-Schedule-for-ORD-and-COS-source-scaled-e1713725445659-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Flight-Schedule-for-ORD-and-COS-source-scaled-e1713725445659-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Flight-Schedule-for-ORD-and-COS-source-scaled-e1713725445659-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Flight-Schedule-for-ORD-and-COS-source-scaled-e1713725445659-1600x901.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Flight-Schedule-for-ORD-and-COS-source-scaled-e1713725445659-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Flight-Schedule-for-ORD-and-COS-source-scaled-e1713725445659-2048x1154.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Flight-Schedule-for-ORD-and-COS-source-scaled-e1713725445659-750x422.jpg 750w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Flight-Schedule-for-ORD-and-COS-source-scaled-e1713725445659-1140x642.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Flight-Schedule-for-ORD-and-COS-source-scaled-e1713725445659-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Southwest Airlines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-safety-systems\">Safety Systems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The TCAS safety system functioned as designed, alerting pilots to the potential collision and providing instructions to avoid impact. The system represents a crucial final layer of defence when other safety measures fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aviation experts have pointed to this incident as an example of how multiple factors\u2014<strong>poor weather, inadequate preparation, <\/strong>and<strong> communication failures<\/strong>\u2014can quickly combine to create dangerous situations in the sky. The contrast between this controller&#8217;s performance and that of others in similar high-pressure situations has also drawn attention from safety analysts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/faa\/\">Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)<\/a> typically investigates such incidents to identify improvements needed in training, procedures, or systems to prevent similar close calls in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join us on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/s\/aviationa2z\" rel=\"nofollow\">Telegram Group\u00a0<\/a>for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMPLdrgsw_-jGAw?hl=en-IN&amp;gl=IN&amp;ceid=IN%3Aen\">Google News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-aviation-a-2-z wp-block-embed-aviation-a-2-z\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"OxGRmnydke\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/30\/american-airlines-flight-go-around-at-charlotte\/\">American Airlines Flight Go-Around at Charlotte Amid Aircraft on Runway<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;American Airlines Flight Go-Around at Charlotte Amid Aircraft on Runway&#8221; &#8212; Aviation A2Z\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/30\/american-airlines-flight-go-around-at-charlotte\/embed\/#?secret=LQFSAdz3GH#?secret=OxGRmnydke\" data-secret=\"OxGRmnydke\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A serious incident occurred in Southern California airspace on March 17, 2025, when a Southwest Airlines  B737 and a private Cessna Citation jet came dangerously close to each other. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":90641,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8577,6761,7307],"tags":[7200,2750,81,26133,26135,20474,26132,26134],"class_list":{"0":"post-90629","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-aviation-incident","8":"category-news","9":"category-usa-aviation-news","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-cessna-citations-xs","12":"tag-latest-aviation-news","13":"tag-near-miss-mid-air-collision","14":"tag-south-california","15":"tag-southwest-airlines-737","16":"tag-southwest-airlines-near-miss","17":"tag-van-nuys-airport"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90629"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90670,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90629\/revisions\/90670"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}