NTSB investigates near-collision between airliner, small plane at California airport

NTSB investigates runway near-collision in Calif.

BURBANK, Calif. — Federal safety officials said Friday that they are investigating the near collision of an airliner and a small plane at a Southern California airport this week.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Friday that a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 carrying 119 passengers and a crew of five came within 200 feet of a small plane while landing at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank on Monday.

The latest incident happened two months after a jet bound for the same field almost collided with another plane.

The board said the small plane, a Cessna 172, was involved in a practice known as “touch and go” in which a plane briefly lands on a runway before taking off again.

The planes reportedly came within 200 feet vertically and 10 feet laterally of each other at an intersection of runways.

A Southwest jet took evasive action 20 miles from Burbank to avoid a private plane on Feb. 16.