Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight at San Antonio International Airport had to abruptly stop their takeoff on Tuesday after a small commuter plane “made a wrong turn onto the runway.” Southwest said, “Southwest Flight 4996 safely discontinued its takeoff roll at San Antonio International Airport on Tuesday due to a potential conflict with another aircraft” and later “The flight later departed for Dallas uneventfully,” as reported by Fox San Antonio.
Officials reported no injuries, and normal airport operations resumed after the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the runway incursion to determine how the Pilatus PC‑12 ended up on the active runway.
Which Flight Was Involved
Flight trackers and schedules identify the trip as Southwest WN4996, a midday San Antonio to Dallas Love Field run that operates regularly out of Terminal A. According to Flight.info, the service typically departs SAT in the early afternoon and arrives at DAL later the same hour.
Airport Conditions At The Time
The city has one runway under rehabilitation this month, a change that has shifted taxi and operating patterns across the field. As City of San Antonio notes, Runway 13R/31L is closed for pavement and lighting work through March 6, with operations concentrated on Runway 4/22 during the project.
Runway Incursions And Safety
Runway incursions, which occur when an aircraft, vehicle or person enters a runway without authorization, are treated as serious safety events and are tracked closely by federal regulators. The FAA has been rolling out surface awareness tools like the Surface Awareness Initiative and the Runway Incursion Device to give controllers and flight crews more timely warnings, according to the FAA.
The FAA said it is investigating, while Southwest thanked its crew for their professionalism. Fox San Antonio reports the flight later left for Dallas without further issue. Airport officials said there were no injuries and that normal flight operations resumed after routine checks.
