(NewsNation) — An air traffic controller prevented the potentially dangerous departure of a Southwest Airlines flight on a Florida airport taxiway on Thursday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The incident involving Flight 3278 happened at 9:30 a.m. at Orland International Airport as the plane attempted to depart for Albany International Airport in New York, FAA officials said.
Southwest Airlines said its “crew mistook the surface for the nearby runway,” but no injuries were reported.
“An air traffic controller at Orlando International Airport canceled the takeoff clearance for Southwest Airlines Flight 3278 … after the aircraft began its takeoff roll on a taxiway,” FAA officials said in a statement.
The FAA said no other aircraft were involved and it’s investigating.
The incident follows mounting scrutiny following several recent aviation incidents, including a near-collision last month at Chicago’s Midway International Airport involving a Southwest Airlines jet and a Jan. 29 crash at Washington-Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people after an American Airlines regional jet collided with an Army helicopter.
To address staffing shortages among air traffic controllers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a hiring surge, with a 30% increase in starting salaries for those who attend the FAA academy. He noted the average starting salary is more than $160,000 per year.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees,” Southwest said in a statement.
