An investigation is just beginning into a runway collision at William P. Hobby Airport on Tuesday that sparked a ground stop.
The airport has since returned to normal operations, though the impact canceled or delayed 130 flights.
The debris has been cleared from the airfield. Hobby Airport has restored flight operations.
Please contact your airline for flight status. pic.twitter.com/UspVEenv1K
— Hobby Airport (@HobbyAirport) October 25, 2023
Helicopter video from above the airport on Tuesday shows the two private jets involved.
Reporter crews at the airport on Wednesday spotted a large pile of luggage. Officials said the bags were mostly left behind by people who live around the Houston area and didn’t want to wait around when all of the flights started getting diverted and canceled.
According to the FAA, a twin-engine Hawker took off without permission and collided with a Cessna that was landing on a different runway around 3:30 p.m.
FAA Statement
A twin-engine Hawker H25B departed without permission from Runway 22 @HobbyAirport at 4 PM today when it collided with a twin-engine Cessna C510 that was landing on Runway 13 Right. No injuries have been reported.
This info is preliminary & subject to change.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) October 24, 2023
Debris from the incident shut down the airfield, which meant all arriving and departing flights were grounded or diverted until around 7 p.m.
The FAA said the number of people on each plane has not been determined. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Due to the cancellations, delays, and diversions, some passengers were sent to Bush Intercontinental Airport. Meanwhile, some were sent to other states.
One traveler told reporters that after his flight from Cancun was canceled, he ended up in New Orleans.
“They didn’t give us any new boarding passes or anything so we don’t have any new official flight number or time we are supposed to be departing,” Everett Brown said.
In total, Houston Airport System officials said the ground stop caused cancellations to 24 departing and 30 arriving flights, as well as delays to 45 departing and 33 arriving flights. Eleven flights were diverted, including six to IAH.
Reporters asked the FAA if the pilot of the Hawker plane will face any consequences for taking off without permission. We are still waiting to hear back.
The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team of six to investigate the collision.
NTSB sending a team of six to investigate Tuesday's collision of a Hawker H850XP (N269AA) airplane and a Cessna C510 (N510HM) airplane at the William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) October 25, 2023