Chile… when I tell you my heart skipped a beat reading about what went down at Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling Wednesday afternoon. A small plane came barreling through the fence at the north end of the airport, stopping just inches away from a main roadway. Inches. Imagine driving home from work, sipping your coffee, and a whole plane nearly crosses your path. That could’ve been a tragedy.
The FAA says that plane had taken off from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport earlier in the day. By the time it landed in Wheeling, it overshot the runway and tore right through that fence. Two people were onboard—thankfully, both made it out alive. Right now, the FAA has launched an investigation to figure out what exactly went wrong.
As a Black woman who has seen too many headlines about lives cut short, I can’t help but pause here. We take for granted that when planes land, everything’s under control. But situations like this remind us just how thin that line of safety really is.
I’m grateful no lives were lost, but also deeply aware this could’ve ended so differently. We need answers, and we deserve transparency.
