Incident Overview
On Monday, April 19, 2010, at approximately 1058 Pacific daylight time, a near collision occurred on the surface at Bob Hope Airport (BUR) in Burbank, California, involving Southwest Airlines (SWA) Flight 649, a Boeing 737-700, and N4415R, a Cessna 172. The Boeing 737 was landing on runway 8, while the Cessna 172 was in the departure phase of a touch-and-go on runway 15. The Cessna passed airborne through the intersection of runways 8 and 15 in front of the landing Boeing 737. The incident took place during daytime visual meteorological conditions (VMC).
Aircraft and Flight Details
Southwest Airlines Flight 649 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK), Oakland, California, to Burbank, operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. The aircraft carried 119 passengers and a crew of five. No injuries were reported. The Cessna 172, registration N4415R, was practicing take-offs and landings at Burbank under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. It had one person onboard; no injuries were reported.
Sequence of Events
At approximately 1046, N4415R contacted Burbank air traffic control tower (ATCT) requesting touch-and-go approaches in the traffic pattern. The Cessna completed one touch-and-go to runway 8 and was then instructed by ATC to enter a left downwind for runway 15 for its second approach. About two minutes later, the Boeing 737 reported to BUR ATCT on approximately an 8-mile final for an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 8. The local controller (LC) issued the Boeing 737 a landing clearance to runway 8 and subsequently issued the Cessna a touch-and-go clearance to runway 15. Immediately following these clearances, the LC became moderately busy providing traffic advisories to other aircraft in the airspace; however, the Boeing 737 and Cessna 172 were not provided traffic advisories on each other.
Approximately two minutes later, the Cessna 172 was airborne in the departure phase of a touch-and-go on runway 15 and passed through the intersection of runways 15 and 8 in front of the Boeing 737 landing on runway 8.
Controller Actions
According to the LC and the controller in charge (CIC), they did not see the situation develop between the Cessna and the Boeing because another aircraft that had just departed distracted them, and their attention was focused on the radar display, not out the tower window. The LC and CIC first became aware of the situation when the clearance delivery/flight data controller (CD/FD) looked out the window and said “hey!” when he saw the Cessna airborne and climbing over the intersection, and the landing Boeing 737 rolling through the same intersection, perpendicular to each other. The Boeing 737 continued to its gate, and the Cessna completed two more approaches at Burbank before departing toward Van Nuys.
Video Evidence
Burbank Airport had several video cameras located on the airfield used by airport operations. One of those cameras captured the incident. The replay of the video indicated that approximately 10 seconds elapsed from the time the Cessna passed over the runway intersection until the Boeing 737 rolled through that same intersection.