Overview
- The FAA says a controller instructed Alaska Airlines Flight 294 to go around around 8:15–8:17 p.m. on March 17 as FedEx Flight 721 was cleared to land on a crossing runway.
- FlightRadar24 data and tower audio indicate the jets passed within roughly 300–325 feet, with the Alaska jet told to go around at about 150 feet above the runway.
- Both aircraft landed safely without injuries; the FedEx 777 arrived from Memphis and the Alaska 737 MAX 9 from Portland with 171 passengers and six crew.
- The NTSB has opened a formal investigation and the FAA is reviewing the event, collecting data on procedures and timing.
- A former FAA official noted the difficulty of sequencing intersecting runways, though officials have not determined causes as the inquiries continue.