Airports can be a pretty intimidating places. In 2020, a man was walking on the runway when he was hit by a Southwest Airlines 737 jet that was coming in for a landing. It seems to be a horror story for everyone. But it's especially sad to think about the guilt and remorse that the pilot must be feeling over a situation he had no control of.
While the pilot reportedly saw the man and tried to avoid him, airplanes are impossible to stop at a moment's notice. The story is eerie for a few reasons. For one, the man reportedly had no identification on him at the time. He also didn't appear to be an employee of Southwest Airlines.
Whether his presence in a dangerous area was intentional or not, it's an incident that will affect many lives for quite some time. While many things can happen while flying, this is fairly rare.
While the aircraft itself landed safely, there's reportedly a big dent in one of the aircraft's engines. There were reportedly 53 passengers on the flight at the time, along with five crew members. The company has stood by its employees, saying that the pilot did everything right in regard to this situation.
"The Southwest aircraft maneuvered to avoid an individual who became visible on runway 17R shortly after touchdown," the airline's statement read. "The aircraft quickly came to a safe stop, and the pilots reported the event to local air traffic controllers." On the radio, it's apparent that the pilot saw the man on the runway prior to landing.
According to CBS News, the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services were able to confirm that the person killed was an adult. While there are still plenty of questions surrounding the incident, authorities are starting to question the security personnel who were working at that time. A former National Transportation Safety Board member spoke to KVUE about what happened.
“It's a little bit embarrassing, maybe a major embarrassment for the airport itself," said John Goglia, who has almost 60 years of experience with aviation. "It's a great concern for the security people in the airport." John was concerned about how the man got to the runway without being dressed as a staff member.
He also noted the time that the plane had landed, which was around sunset, and why that was also problematic given the situation. "It's the most busy time of the landing," he said. "And if it's anywhere near nighttime, the visibility on the runway is grossly reduced."
Long story short, the man shouldn't have been there — and someone should have noticed. "Something happened here that allowed this guy to get in, whether it was a lapse from the people who designed the system or a lapse with the equipment," John said. "But in any event, this individual got into an area that he should not have been."
John also said that even though the pilot tried to swerve to avoid the man, there really wasn't anything the pilot could do at that point. "When he's that close to touchdown, he's committed. He's touching down," he said. "So, it doesn't matter what mysteriously shows up in front of him. It's too late."
The whole situation makes you think. Even though there was nothing that the pilot could do, the airport management should still be held responsible for not noticing that someone found their way onto the runway. In Southwest's statement, it revealed that it's working along with local law enforcement.
"Tonight's flight landed at 8:12 p.m. DCT, after arriving from Dallas Love Field (DAL)," SWA wrote. "Southwest is fully cooperating with local law enforcement and FAA as those agencies investigate the event. We sincerely thank our Crew for their professionalism and swift response."
No matter what, a man lost his life. And it's a tragic event for all. During this time, we should be thinking of his friends and family, who likely don't know about his unfortunate death just yet. Whether he thought this out or was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, it's a sad way to die.
It's just yet another reminder to always tell your loved ones how you're feeling. Let them know how important they are to you, and show them how much of a difference they're making in the world. Due to freak accidents like this and the state of the world in general, you don't know when it'll be your last opportunity.
It's also important to think about the other people who'll never get this particular image out of their minds. According to KWTX, an airport employee was the one to find the man's body at Runway 17-R. That was something the employee likely never thought would happen while on the job. And for certain employees, just having to go into work can be a little frightening these days.
Now more than ever, it's important to check up on our loved ones — both the people who've been cooped up at home for weeks and the people who are unable to complete their jobs from home, like these airline employees. And if someone happened to lose their job and has been unable to secure unemployment to help them through, their mental health may be at a dangerous state.
