May 4, 2010 - The NTSB has launched an investigation into the near collision of a Southwest Airlines jetliner and a news helicopter over a runway at Houston's Hobby Airport last week. 

At about 12:25 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, April 28, a Southwest Airlines 737, flight 1322 (N242WN) and a Bell 207 news gathering helicopter (N6YJ), came within an estimated 125 feet vertically and 100 feet laterally from each other as both were departing the airport.

The Baltimore-bound 737 with 135 passengers and a crew of five had been cleared to depart from runway 12R. At about the same time the helicopter was cleared to depart from another part of the airport.

?However, just as I began to rotate, he started a left turn into our flight path. To avoid hitting him, I made a slow rotation and after liftoff kept us airborne just a few feet off the ground so that we would fly under him. This was my only option to avoid hitting him. Just before we flew under him he saw us and made a sharp hard turn back to the right. This turn prevented him from flying directly over us.

?I estimate we missed him by about 50' vertically and 100-200' horizontally. Listening to the conversation between him and the tower controller after we passed him it sounded like there was confusion between them about what direction he was supposed to head after his takeoff."

According to the SWA1322 First Officer: "I was the FO and [pilot monitoring]. We were cleared for takeoff on 12R. Approaching V1 we saw a helo taking off south of 12R and flying SE (parallel with the runway). During our rotation, the helo started to turn left and towards our flight path. The PF adjusted pitch to keep vertical spacing. The helo abruptly turned back to the right and passed high and off our right wing. I notified tower that the helo attempted to turn into us. The PF adjusted back to the normal profile after clearing the conflict and the remainder of the flight was normal.