Southwest Flight Diverted to Check on Non Responsive Aircraft

NTSB INVESTIGATING AN INCIDENT INVOLVING AN ATC REQUEST FOR A COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT TO FLY NEAR A NON-RESPONSIVE AIRPLANE


(NTSB RELEASE)
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an incident  involving a Southwest Airlines airplane that was requested to veer off course  by Air Traffic Control to view into the cockpit of a general aviation  airplane that had been out of radio communication.

On Sunday, March 27, 2011, Southwest Airlines flight 821 was requested by Central Florida Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) to check on a Cirrus SR22 that had been out of radio contact for an hour. The TRACON vectored the Southwest Airlines commercial flight until visual contact was obtained with the Cirrus.