Overview

• The NTSB’s final report cites the local controller’s poor duty prioritization as the probable cause, with the tower supervisor’s focus on a jammed printer contributing.
• Southwest Flight 2493, a Boeing 737-700, was holding for departure on Runway 27 when a Cessna Citation was cleared to land on the same runway, eliminating required separation.
• ASDE-X ground radar issued visual and aural alerts that led to a go-around by the Citation, and both aircraft avoided collision without injuries or damage.
• Investigators found the controller diverted attention to call a regional FAA facility about another aircraft’s altitude, a decision the controller later acknowledged as poor judgment.
• The aircraft came within about 100 feet, a close call that reporting places within wider concerns about U.S. aviation safety and the role of automated backups.