A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, registration N659SW performing flight WN-281 from Baltimore,MD to Boston,MA (USA) with 140 people on board, was cleared to line up runway 28 while another Southwest Airlines Flight 604 was on final approach with a flaps problem, see below, and was subsequently cleared for takeoff. The aircraft accelerated and became airborne, before being handed off the departure the crew requested to level off at 2000 feet and return to the field without providing further information, the emergency aircraft on final approach thus continued their landing. Tower offered runways 28 and 33L for landing, the crew chose runway 33L. While on downwind the crew advised they were returning as a precaution. The aircraft landed safely on runway 33L about 8 minutes after departure.
Subsequently metallic debris was discovered on runway 28.
A ground observer reported there was no noise heard when flight 281 departed however there was metallic debris left behind, one engine appeared to have failed, a grass fire started near the end of runway 28. Shortly afterwards flight 604 landed on runway 28.
Runways 28 and 33L were closed temporarily due to the emergencies. Tower also closed access to runway 33L as well as intersection of runway 28 with taxiway Delta (just short of intersections runway 28 and 33L) due to metal debris left behind by the departing aircraft.
A replacement Boeing 737-700 reached Boston with a delay of 2:40 hours.
The airline reported the left hand engine (CFM56) suffered an overheat indication. The crew never declared emergency and returned as a precaution.
The Aviation Herald
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N770SA performing flight WN-604 from Philadelphia,PA to Phoenix,AZ (USA), was climbing out of Philadelphia when the crew stopped the climb at FL180 reporting problems with the flaps and decided to divert to Baltimore. The aircraft prepared for a landing at a higher than normal speed and was on final approach, when tower cleared Southwest flight 281 for takeoff, which however distributed debris onto the runway during the departure about 1300 meters/4250 feet down the runway, see above. WN-604 landed on runway 28 at a higher than normal speed (about 170 knots over ground). The aircraft rolled to the end of the runway and vacated the runway.
The airline reported a cockpit indication prompted the diversion to Baltimore.
The Aviation Herald
Two Southwest Airlines 737s have seperate issues at Baltimore–Washington Intl on the same day
