Southwest pilot aborts Hollywood Burbank landing because runway 'wasn't quite clear': report

A Southwest pilot reportedly was heard on video telling passengers his aircraft had to initiate a go-around after touching down briefly at Hollywood Burbank Airport because the "ordered runway wasn't quite clear." 

The incident happened Thursday as the Boeing 737 was arriving from Las Vegas, according to KABC. 

"Hey folks, just a quick update. The ordered runway wasn't quite clear when we were going to touch down there, so we had to go around," the pilot said over the plane's intercom in a video obtained by the station.  

The pilot added it would be another five to 10 minutes before landing.

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One passenger told KABC the plane's wheels briefly touched the runway before the aircraft took off again at a steep incline. 

"The flight crew of Southwest Airlines flight 2353 executed a pilot-initiated go-around after briefly landing at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California," the Federal Aviation Administration told Fox News Digital Saturday.

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"There were no other aircraft or vehicles involved."

A Southwest Airlines spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "We don't have any internal reports of a runway incursion, and the FAA has indicated to us they do not either.

"From our initial reports, the pilots performed a routine go-around before landing safely. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees."

In July 2025, a Southwest pilot on a flight from Burbank to Las Vegas had to dive aggressively to avoid a midair collision, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.