DALLAS — An Alaska Airlines (AS) flight bound for Seattle was forced to abort its takeoff at Nashville International Airport (BNA) on Thursday morning due to a potential traffic conflict on the runway. 

Flight 369, a Boeing 737-9, received clearance for takeoff from Air Traffic Control when the pilots quickly applied the brakes to avoid an incident, as Southwest Airlines (WN) Flight 2029, a Boeing 737-700 set to fly for Jacksonville, Florida, was cleared to cross the same runway.

The AS plane, carrying 176 passengers and six crew members, came to a rapid stop, causing the tires to deflate due to heat buildup, as per design. No injuries were reported, and passengers were safely deplaned near the terminal. AS arranged for another aircraft to transport the passengers to Seattle later that night.

Ongoing Investigations

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the incident. AS praised the swift actions of its pilots and apologized for the disruption.

According to Reuters, WN Southwest stated it was in contact with the NTSB and FAA and would cooperate in the inquiry. Meanwhile, AS said that maintenance technicians in Nashville were inspecting the airplane.

This is a developing story.