A Southwest Airlines plane took off from a closed runway last month, according to an initial investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The incident occurred on June 28 at Portland International Jetport in Maine, during a flight headed to Baltimore, Maryland. Pilots missed crucial pre-flight instructions that outlined the closure of the runway due to construction and the need to contact their dispatcher before takeoff.
Despite seeing a truck leave the under-construction runway, the pilots did not notice any other indications that the runway was closed. They proceeded with takeoff and completed the flight without any further issues.
Southwest Airlines has not commented on the incident as of yet.