The FAA opened an investigation after two Southwest Airlines jets came within 500 vertical feet of each other at Nashville International on Saturday evening, around 19:30 local time. A go‑around by Flight 507 was redirected by an air‑traffic controller into the path of Flight 1152 departing a parallel runway. Both crews were warned by the onboard Traffic Avoidance Collision System, and each aircraft landed safely briefly with no injuries reported.

Southwest, which operates more than half of Nashville’s daily flights, said gusty winds forced the aborted landing, while the traffic alert prompted pilots to adjust altitude. The incident adds to a string of recent near‑misses nationwide, including an Alaska‑FedEx brush‑off at JFK and a fatal runway collision at LaGuardia, raising concerns about staffing shortages and controller fatigue.

Investors watch such events because they can trigger regulatory scrutiny and impact airline operating costs. The FAA’s probe may lead to revised controller procedures or technology upgrades, pressures that Southwest must absorb while maintaining its market share in the Southeast. The close call underscores how systemic workforce strains translate into tangible safety risks for carriers.