Southwest Flight Aborts Cleveland Landing After Helicopter Near Miss Amid Shutdown

A Southwest Airlines flight was forced to abort its landing at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport after a close encounter with an Airbus H145 medical helicopter. Both aircraft were flying at an altitude of 2,075 feet and came within approximately half a mile of each other, violating established safety separation requirements. The Southwest Boeing 737 received a Traffic Collision Avoidance System resolution advisory (TCAS RA), prompting the pilots to take evasive action and go around before successfully landing. Audio recordings reveal air traffic controllers initially instructed the helicopter to pass behind the plane, but the helicopter pilot requested to pass above and in front instead, contributing to the near-miss. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident, which occurred amid staffing shortages and operational strains caused by the ongoing government shutdown affecting air traffic control. Southwest Airlines praised its crew's professionalism and emphasized the priority of safety throughout the event.