Sept 12 (Reuters) - An Alaska Airlines airplane

aborted takeoff on a runway at Nashville International Airport

on Thursday to avoid a potential collision with a Southwest

Airlines ( LUV ) jet, the airline said.

Alaska Airlines 369, with 176 passengers and six crew on

board, aborted takeoff due to a potential traffic conflict after

it had received clearance for takeoff from air traffic control,

the airline said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Southwest Airlines

Flight 2029 had been cleared to cross the end of the same runway

and the agency is investigating the incident. The Alaska pilots

immediately applied the brakes to prevent the incident from

escalating, the carrier added. The plane had been scheduled to

fly to Seattle and passengers are being moved to a new plane.